12-12-12. A unique date

A date to remember when philatelists all around the world exchanged covers  to receive the unique postmark. For local mail I always request the use of definitive stamps and you can see here three of the values from the 2005 set which are still in use today.

     

Australia- Kakadu Birds

Stamp collectors never finish their sorting and arranging and writing up their collections. Rewards  can come  from  sorting out packets and here is todays' surprise. Great clear postmark from Tasmania, in fact the first Tasmanian postmark to get on the map http://g.co/maps/tpjra . Australia is a very large continent, Kakadu is in the very far north compared to Tassie which is as far south as you can go

 Stamps are  from the 1997 series  Kakadu  Birds . Little Kingfisher ( Ceyx pusillus)  Brolga ( Grus rubicunda)   Comb-crested Jacana  ( Irediparra gallinacea )

GB- Four birds on one cover

From my good friend in Birmingham comes this neat arrangement of four birds on one cover.
First is the 1977  9p Grey Partridge (Perdix perdix), next to the elegant  2007 Pied Avocet   ( Recurvirostra avosetta). There's a 30 year age gap between these two !!!. Below them are a pair from the
1980 Wild Bird Protection series , White- throated dipper (Cinclus cinclus) and the Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)

Romania- Eurasian Hobby

With a name like Eurasian Hobby, you mightn't think it's a bird but this small slim bird is a Falcon

(Falco subbuteo

) and can be found in open farmland, marshes, taiga and savannah.

This bird has great acrobatic skills , can capture swifts and swallows on the wing   and was used  in  falconry, trained to hawk birds such as quails larks and hoopoes.

 Stamp is from the 2007 series  Birds of Prey

Hong Kong-Fork-tailed Sunbird 2009

 A trio of  2006 definitive $1.40 Fork-tailed sunbirds ( Aethopyga christinae) carried a letter in 2009  from Hong Kong to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

India-Demoiselle crane 1975

1975 Inland letter card from India posted to Kuala Lumpur ,up-rated with a pair of  1975 definitive Demoiselle crane (Grus Virgo) stamps. This is one of my favorite bird stamps , have you wondered why there are three legs ?

Indonesia- Endangered Birds 2012

First arrival for December is a cover from Indonesia, this time with the birds on the complete 2012 Bird Life International Endangered Species m/s postmarked from Malang. Birds are Siau Scops Owl, Flores Hawk-eagle, Elegant sunbird and the Invisible Rail. Thanks to my dear friend CJ for sending the cover.