Aquatic wildlife

FrontFrom left to right :
100 F : African Elephantnose (箭形長頜魚)
160 F : White-faced Whistling Duck (白臉樹鴨)
70 F : Collared Kingfisher (白領翡翠) ; 120 F : Ornate Horned Frog (鍾角蛙)
Burkina Faso (1988)

BackRed-fronted Gazelle (紅額瞪羚)
Burkina Faso (1993)
29th July, 2009. Ouagadougou
via France

Here is another mail from newest African series, Burkina Faso is located in West Africa and southern of Sahara. As Volta River flows through its country, Burkina Faso was named Upper Volta but it renamed on 1984. Same as other African countries, Burkina Faso also can find many species inside its national parks and reserve areas.

Above cover franked a set of aquatic wildlife stamps and a set of Red-fronted Gazelle WWF stamps on both sides, unfortunately only White-faced Whistling Duck and Red-fronted Gazelle can be found in West Africa, White-faced Whistling Duck is a resident bird mainly lives in south of Sahara and South America, it normally appears waterfront of ponds and lakes, mostly eats seeds and plants. Red-fronted Gazelle also widely lives in south of Sahara, from Senegal to Ethiopia, it now facing decreasing of population.

The mail sent by philatelic bureau of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso via France to Hongkong. The post office of France affixed one more registered label on the mail to record the status, however it overlapped the stamps at front side and I moved to back side when the mail arrived.

Red Kite in southern Europe

Red Kite (紅鳶)
Gibraltar (1996)
25th June, 2009. Gibraltar
15th July, 2009. Hongkong

It is the third time to show Red Kite stamp in here, last two are Great Britain and Switzerland separately. In last post says that Red Kite is very common in continent of Europe, however in western and southern of Europe, especially along the seashore of the Mediterranean, it is rarely to find its appearance. In winter, there are small number of Red Kites fly over Gibraltar when they migrating from northern Europe to North Africa, this WWF issue illustrated the birds bleed and live around the fort at the top of Rock of Gibraltar.

On the back of this cover franked with one extra stamp Honey Buzzard (鳳頭蜂鷹), it is one of newest Gibraltar definitive stamps but will not show in here.

Congo Grey Parrot, part II

Congo Grey Parrot (剛果灰鸚鵡)
São Tomé e Príncipe (2009)
25th June, 2009. São Tomé

One of latest WWF issue of 2009, illustrates Congo Grey Parrot of São Tomé e Príncipe, an islands and poorest country of Africa. The country located outside Gulf of Guinea and nearest Equator.

Congo Grey Parrot is one of sub-species of African Grey Parrot (非洲灰鸚鵡), this species has been shown here before, the Taiwan and Angola stamps separately. Congo Grey Parrot only can be found in Ilha do Príncipe of this country, and nearest island Bioko of Equatorial Guinea. Congo Grey Parrot owns grey-whited feather, reddish tail with dark-grey bill. Another sub-species of African Grey Parrot is Timneh Grey Parrot (提姆那灰鸚鵡), it is smaller size than Congo Grey Parrot and rarely can be found in natural environment. Population from Guinea-Bissau to Cote d'Ivorie, the different is it owns dark-reddish brown tail and the bill with yellow colour.

Congo Grey Parrot is popular pet over the world, most of parrots are bleeding humanised. Wild lived Congo Grey Parrots are being endangered, unfortunately they are facing illegal catching and trading.

Pheasants of Bhutan

From left to right :
2Nu : Kalij Pheasant (黑鷴) ; 8Nu : Satyr Tragopan (紅胸角雉)
5Nu : Blyth's Tragopan (灰腹角雉) ; 15Nu : Himalayan Monal (棕尾虹雉)
Bhutan (2003)
22nd May, 2009. Thimphu

Bhutan is one of secret countries in the world, it was closed until 60's year of last century, no visitor could go inside the country. However many people known that it is the most happiness country in the world now but it still is a poor country in southern Asia. As the country lays on the southern Himalayas, weather is cool in whole year so many species live in there.

Above WWF stamps are illustrated four Phasianidae (雉科) species which can be found in south Himalayas, those species are resident birds widely live in Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and northern part of India, Burma and Thailand.

Fijian Monkey-faced Bat

Fijian Monkey-faced Bat (斐濟尖齒狐蝠)
Fiji (1997)
2nd March, 2009. Suva
6th March, 2009. Registration office, Fiji

Fijian Monkey-faced Bat is endemic to Fiji now listed as critically endangered species, it only can be found in mountain area of Taveuni, the third large island of Fiji. In wild area, only a pair to five bats have been recorded in recent years and it being extinct in the wild.

The above cover is part of request of Fijian Dove issue, thus the cancellation is same as other two shown in here. Two extra definitive stamps illustrate Striated Heron (綠鷺) and Island Thrush (白頭鶇) were made-up for the enough postage, issued on 1995 and 2003 separately but overprinted with new value in unknown day.

Seastars of Indian Ocean

34p : Crown-of-Thorns (棘冠星魚) ; 15p : Cushion Star (饅頭海星)
26p : Azure Sea Star (藍指海星) ; 56p : Banded Bubble Star (赤麗棘海星)
British Indian Ocean Territory (2001)
18th February, 2009. Diego Garcia, Chagos

This is the first mail sent from BIOT, I felt disappoint as not bird stamps, cover franking with first WWF issue of BIOT illustrated four different sea stars, anyway it still looks nice and hope will receive bird stamps in next mail. Four seastars are seem common in Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean, as this area like Seychelles, Maldives and Mauritius are popular for diving, some visitors caught them as souvenir caused the quantity of them are decreasing.

British Indian Ocean Territory is in the middle of Indian Ocean, same far away from east bank of Africa and Indonesia, wihich occupied by Great Britain for military facility used by the country and United States.

Mourning Wheatear

From left to right :

Roe Deer (野生狍) ; Greek Tortoise (希臘陸龜)
Blanford's Fox (阿富汗狐) ; Kuhl's Pipistrelle (庫氏伏翼)
Israel (2000, 2001)
17th February, 2009. Kiriat Motzkin
23rd February, 2009. Hongkong

Two covers feature two beautiful animal stamp sets which one illustrated Blanford's fox and other is four different Israelis animals, thank you for great help of Juri. The Blanford's fox set, is a part of World Wild Fund series issued on 2000, one of the stamp illustrated fox catching Mourning Wheatear (悲鵖), a species widely lives from Pakistan to Mauritania, and also farthermost to Tanzania.

As unexpected reasons, below cover spent a month to dispatch for Hongkong, while the registered cover on the above only a week.

17th February, 2009. Kiriat Motzkin