Australia-Pardalotes

Here's the full set you've all been waiting for-Forty-spotted, Spotted, Red-browed and Striated Pardalaotes.
The only four birds which make up thePardalote family, all small birds with short tails and thick stubby beaks which feed in the outer foliage of eucalyptus trees. They nest in horizontal tunnels built into earth banks near water courses.

Australia-Forty-spotted Pardalote

The rare and endangered Forty-spotted Pardalote (Pardalotus quadragintus) only occurs in South east  Tasmania. This cover was postmarked at Blackman's Bay which is very close to where you can see these attractive little birds.
Have you guessed yet why the bird has this unusual name ?  It's because there are forty spots on the wings .Unlike its 3 cousins on the mainland of Australia who have more spots.
 The stamps have been produced in two formats, top pair is the gummed version with  even perforations and the lower are self-adhesive. Thanks to my new friend in Tasmania for creating this nice piece of postal history.  It's not very historic yet, but I intend it to become an heirloom.:)

St Pierre & Miquelon- Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca)

Named for the rich red hues of its plumage, Fox Sparrows  (Passerella iliaca) are very large sparrows  which breed in remote places of coniferous forest and dense mountain scrub in the northern areas of  northern America.
It's certainly unusual for me to receive a cover postmarked from St Pierre et  Miquelon and it was interesting to see the bird stamp on this cover is part of an ongoing annual bird series started in 2007.
Of extra interest on the cover are the two definitive stamps from France which are overprinted SPM.

Australia-Kookaburra

Continuing on in the baby Animals series, the latest international stamp has a juvenile Kookaburra. Stamp cancelled in Bright, Victoria on a Moldova maxi card featuring the colorful peacock , an endemic bird of India, seen here in the Moldova Zoo.

Hong Kong-Barn Swallow & Northern Shoveller, Little Egret, Common Tern

Thematic collectors love postal stationary and today an aerogram arrived from Hong Kong with a delightful image of a Barn Swallow  (Hirundo Rustica) in flight. In the background you can see a Northern Shoveller ( Anas clypeata), Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) and a Common tern ( Stera hirundo).
Posted from Hong Kong on June 1, the aerogram took 10 days to arrive.

Australia- Forty-spotted Pardalote

Pardalotes are small compact little birds which eat  mostly insects . Of the four species found in Australia, this Forty-spotted Pardalote is endemic to the Island of Tasmania. This stamps was cancelled on the first day of issue in Melbourne during the recent World Stamp Exhibition held at the historic Exhibition Building .

France-Short-toed eagle

Short-toed eagle (Circaetus gallicusa) 1984 stamp used in 1985 cancelled in Bas Rhin, France. This is a medium sized  bird  weighing up to 2kg,  and not on the endangered list. Also known as "Snake Bird" because it feeds mainly on snakes and other reptiles such as lizards.

France-European Robin & Golden Eagle

From Capitole, Toulouse, France, a 2003 Greetings stamp with the  European robin carrying some  holly 

 and a handsome  1993  Golden Eagle in the National Park of Ecrins. 

St Kitts 1981-Zenaida Dove

Overprinted "Official" is this 1981 Zenaida Dove sent from the General Post office at Basseterre to Ipoh.
It was only in  1980 that separate postal administrations was established for Saint Kitts ( the other for Nevis) and different issues were produced, despite them  remaining  one nation.

Switzerland 2003-Golden Eagle

My favorite raptor, Golden Eagle ( Aquila Chrysaetos) from Rorschach in Switerland.  Over printed for the stamp exhibition in Locarno 2003. Thanks DF.
These huge fearless eagles like to build their eyries high in the mountains from a site where they can see surrounding valleys.