Romania- Eurasian Bee-eater

Eurasian Bee-eater ( Merops apiaster) :These spectacularly colored small birds are true to their name and do eat bees, as well as wasps, hornets and other insects which they catch  mid-air when they fly off from an open perch preferably in a dead tree.
Bee-eaters are migratory , breeding in warm climates where they next colonially and build tunnel nests in sandy river banks .Seen here, with the 12-12-12 tri-date and cancelled in Bucharest, on a pre-paid cover plus a matching stamp for correct international postage. Cover commemorates the Bucharest  Ramsar convention July 2012.

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