Due to heavy reconstruction of this webpage, this blog is temporary suspended to renew in this summer, it will be updated again after late-autumn, thank you for your visits in these 9 years.

26 June 2011

Pygmy Cormorant

Pygmy Cormorant (侏鸕鶿)
Serbia (2011)

24th May, 2011. Kanjiža

It is the third set of WWF series in 2011 I collected. Not much special but seem nice enough, it features Pygmy Cormorant. This species breeds in southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia, and it partially migrate to further south for winter. Due to the drainage, inhabit lose, pollution and illegal hunting, the population of Pygmy Cormorant is decreasing and now be listed as near threatened in IUCN list.

23 June 2011

50th anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty

55p (L) : Southern Giant Petrel (南方巨鸌)
55p (R) : Gentoo Penguin (巴布亞企鵝)
27p : Humpback Whale (座頭鯨)
British Antarctic Territory (2009)

3rd December, 2009. Rothera Point, Adelaide Island
12th February, 2011. Hongkong

In July of 1955, ambassador of 12 countries has a meeting in Paris for the problem of Antarctic, whom agreed adjust the further observance activities and also gave up the territories demand. After more than 60 meetings from mid-1958, 12 countries signed the Antarctic Treaty on 1st December of 1959 ; and it was effective from 23rd June, 1961.

Today is the 50th anniversary of effective of the Antarctic Treaty, it seems successfully protected most of the Antarctica - the land and ice shelves south of 60°S latitude. Now total 46 countries signed and are members of the treaty, although 7 of members have territories demand.

Above cover affixed the stamps issued by BAT on 2009, to commemorate 50th anniversary of signature of the Antarctic Treaty. It sent from Rothera Station on 2009 ; spent more than year to dispatch its destination. Rothera is the northernmost research station in Antarctica of Great Britain survey.

3 of 6 stamps as above shown variety species to be found in this whited territory, Humpback Whale is one of the largest whale in the world, maximum one is in 18m wide. Although it is not endangered species, as illegal over hunting it listed in CITES of IUCN list. Southern Giant Petrel is a large seabird of southern oceans, it similarly to Northern Giant Petrel (北方巨鸌) but the activity area further south than northern one and in brown colour, the largest one measured in 99cm with a wingspan of 205cm. Gentoo Penguin is the third large penguin in its family, it actives whole Southern Ocean and its islands, also Falkland Islands and Chile. Now population is estimated to be over 300,000 pairs.

The cover originally with hand-illustration breeding King Penguins (國王企鵝), unfortunately it overlapped by those large stamps.

17 June 2011

Conservation in Tristan da Cunha (1)

10p : Inaccessible Island Rail (呆秧雞) ; 5p : Wandering Albatross (漂泊信天翁)
Tristan da Cunha (2010)

2nd December, 2010. Tristan da Cunha

In late-2010, the post office of Tristan da Cunha decided replace their old definitive issue which using over 5 years. This time shown 12 variety situations about conservation in this remote islands, and also the most important heritage site. Four of stamps related to bird and above are two of them. Inaccessible Island Rail is a rail endemic to Inaccessible Island, an south-west island with 45km distance with Tristan da Cunha, now the island listed as World Heritage Site.

Until now, Inaccessible Island still has many flightless birds species and some of them are endemic to the island. Meanwhile, it also a good hub for seabirds which live in Southern Ocean, one example is Wandering Albatross. Now, all species in albatross family be listed as endangered and they have a big chance disappear in the world next 50 years.

Stamp 10p shown a rail lays under lawn and the 5p one is featuring two conservators measuring an albatross.

12 June 2011

Hawaiian rain forest

L : Elepaio (蚋鶲) and Maui Amakihi (茂島綠雀) ; R : Iiwi (鐮嘴管舌鳥)
United States (2010)

26th January, 2011. St Louis, Missouri

Firstly thanks Bob never mind to send me again this cover due to the first one lost in post, it is nice and seem to be finished my Natural series of United States, although only three have been collected. The last series, features variety species if Hawaiian rain forest and as the islands located in the middle of Pacific Ocean, most of land species are endemic to Hawaii.

Hawaii Amakihi (夏威夷綠雀) are widely to be found in Hawaii, it has two subspecies - H. v. virens and Maui Amakihi H. v. wilsoni, the stamp probably illustrated that. As well as the name, the bird endemic to Maui, the second large island of Hawaii. The different of them are the wings of Hawaii Amakihi are in grey colour but Maui Amakihi is in dark black.

Elepaio originally has three subspecies but they now separated, the stamp only shown a small bird similar to female bird of this species.

Iiwi, is one of five endemic honeycreepers in Hawaii, those five species are in one separated family Drepanididae (管舌鳥科). Bird is in a colourful sharped reddish colour with long pink bill.

7 June 2011

Crested Tit

Crested Tit (鳳頭山雀)
Monaco (2002)

4th January, 2011. Monte Carlo

Who sent me this interesting mail ? A normal mail with a stamp costs 5 Euro ! Actually the registered mail from Monaco just 5,82 Euro when the time of essay writing.

Thanks David of his mail and greetings, the stamp really hard to find especially in postal used, so I can completed all my latest Monaco bird issues. Crested Tit is a resident bird in most southern European countries, includes south Portugal and Spain and some North African countries. It is a common bird not endanger in this moment.

3 June 2011

William Farquhar collection

From top of first column to bottom of forth column :
Black-tailed Godwit (黑尾塍鷸) ; Red-wattled Lapwing (肉垂麥雞)
Great Argus (大眼斑雉) ; Malayan Peacock-Pheasant (鳳冠孔雀雉)
Oriental Pied Hornbill (冠斑犀鳥) ; Black Bittern (黃頸黑鷺) ; Oriental Magpie-Robin (鵲鴝)
Blue-tailed Bee-eater (栗喉蜂虎) ; Black-naped Oriole (黑枕黃鸝)
Blue-winged Pitta (馬來八色鶇)
Singapore (2002)

24th December, 2010. Clement West
5th January, 2010. Hongkong


William Farquhar (1774-1839), was a first Resident of Singapore and sixth Resident of Malacca. During the period of in officer of Singapore (1819-1823), he commissioned an artist illustrate domestic flora and fauna. As the artist is a Chinese, the illustrations drawn with watercolour but in Chinese style, total 447 plates are painted in these 4 years, it seems the very first records of Singapore or Malacca's fauna.

In 2002, Singpost selected 20 of illustrations for two minisheets and luckily one of them are birds. Unfortunately as some illustrations in vertical and horizontal formats, ten illustrations oddly printed in one sheet. Thanks to Eddie to tear them out of the sheet and affixed them on envelope regularly.

Perhaps in 250 years ago, those species are very common in South-east Asia, however in 21st century, some of birds like the hornbill and bee-eater are facing inhabit lost and listed as endangered species.