Extended WWF collection (2)

Left : Common Viper (極北蝰) ; Right : Fire Salamander (火蠑螈)

Belgium (2000)

21st January, 2009. Mechelen

A pair of envelope contain a set of WWF stamps issued by Belgium on nine years ago, stamps are illustrated four european Amphibians (兩棲類) and Reptiles (爬蟲類) separately. Stamps designed simply without any background, as it issued on 2000, face values are indicated in two currencies - Belgian Franc and Euro.

Fire Salamander and Sand Lizard are being popular pets nowadays, although whole skin of Fire Salamander is poisonous. Many websites teach people how to pet those species at home or bleeding juvenile. As like as most species, wild lived habitants are decreasing in recent years, especially in Europe.

Covers feature extra Buzin stamps issued on 2005, it is Marsh Tit (泥澤山雀). It is very common in Europe except Spain and Portugal, and can be found in forest of north-east China. In China, it is traditional pet as they can sing a nice sound, thus they are facing illegal hunting and trading in its place for a long time.

Left : Sand Lizard (捷蜥蜴) ; Right : Common Tree Frog (歐洲樹蟾)

Belgium (2000)

21st January, 2009. Mechelen

Extended WWF collection (1)

Chinese White Dolphin (中華白海豚)

Hongkong (1999)

14th November, 1999. Maonshan

On today and tomorrow, I would like to show three groups of cover which are not related to birds, they are responsible to my swap partners. First one is a posted first day cover of Chinese White Dolphin issued by Hongkong in 1999, it is the only one and first WWF issue of Hongkong, and only two WWF sets have been issued in great Chinese area - other one is Chinese Pangolin (穿山甲) issued by Macao in 1995.

Most of dolphins are live in offshore of Cheklapkok Airport, southern Lantau and Tai O. People begin to pay attention to them since the location of new airport confirmed at Cheklapkok on 1992. Before the reclamation of airport, Cheklapkok and Tung Chung, north Lantau was a natural environment and wetland for different species, included endemic species Romer's Tree Frog (盧文氏樹蛙) which only be found in there and Lamma Island. Nowadays, only the dolphins can be seen in original offshore area but frogs are moved to other places.

As the licensing problem, only stamps, pre-paid postcards and first day cover carry WWF logo. The beautiful souvenir sheet which shown continuing actions of dolphins is without logo. After a year, Hongkong Post reprinted the $5 stamp on one sheetlet to commemorate stamp exhibition held on 2001.

Little Tern

Front

Little Tern (小燕鷗)

Croatia (2006)

Back

Orsini's Viper (歐西尼氏腹蛇)

Croatia (1999)

10th February, 2009. Zagreb

16th February, 2009. Hongkong

An interesting cover features two different WWF stamp sets issued by Croatia. The country has been issued three sets of WWF stamp, I still missing the one issued on 2004. Little Tern seems is a normal seabird in the world, can be found offshore of Asia, Europe, eastern Australia and western Africa. However the population has declined or become extinct in most European countries, and only few river or inland suitable for them to habitat. In Croatia, Sava and Drava, which is located in the border of Hungary and Croatia can be found the habitations.

European Turtle Dove

European Turtle Dove (歐斑鳩)

Madeira (2002)

25th February, 2008. São Vicente, Madeira

A small (27mm) chalk-browned Turtle Dove with black and white veins on neck and dark-browned wings, size is smaller than Rufous Turtle Dove. Mostly they are widely living in Europe, Eurasia and North Africa. In Madeira, good bird-watching place is São Vicente, a small village in the north of Madeira.

Above cover is sent from São Vicente, the return address I added back after it come back. However, I known one friend who lives in Madeira afterward, her house is in São Vicente and nearest this hotel. She surprises this cover and sent me some postcards from there, it is really a nice place.

Bulwer's Pheasant

Bulwer's Pheasant (鱗背鷴)

Brunei Darussalam (2001)

22nd March, 2008. MPO, Belait

Endemic bird of Borneo forests, it only can be observed in eastern Malaysia and Brunei. However some zoos and parks feed them humanly. Bulwer's Pheasant is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List nowadays as population rapidly decreasing. Cover shown two stamps illustrated mainly different between two sexes, male is in blue colour but female and juveniles are in brown colours. Sender of this mail Hung is a Chinese who lives in there, thus he can write 'airmail' in Chinese characters, thanks for his great mail.

Black-billed Amazon Parrot

Black-billed Amazon (黑嘴亞馬遜鸚鵡)

Jamaica (2006)

5th January, 2009. Kingston

It is second mail with parrot stamps from Caribbean, thanks for Jamaica Philatelic Bureau kindly helpful. The last one is from Cuba which is also WWF issue has been shown in here before. Same as Cuba Parrot, Black-billed Amazon is a sub-species of Amazon Parrot and they are endemic in Cuba or Jamaica separately. Amazon Parrots are commonly in green colour however their bill or head is in different colours. In recent years, it is very common to find them in pet markets, they are very beautiful but noisy enough.

Christmas Island Imperial-Pigeon and Hawk-Owl

(L) Christmas Island Imperial-Pigeon (聖誕島帝鴿) and

(R) Christmas Island Hawk-Owl (聖誕島鷹鴞)

Christmas Island (2002)

8th August, 2008. Christmas Island

A beautiful gutter block appears on the envelope cancelled by special cancellation of Christmas Island which illustrated Christmas Red Crab (聖誕島紅蟹). Those three species are only can be observed in Christmas Island and its neigbourhood Cocos (Keeling) Islands, these two area are overseas territories of Australia located in eastern Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia. They have their own stamps inscriptions are Christmas Island or Cocos (Keeling) Islands separately. However those stamps are valid for postage in Australia mainland.