First cover from Bahrain!

Thank you very much Ravindra for another amazing cover!

New country: Thailand

Thank you Gladdie

Turkey

Thanks to Ahmet

WWF Malaysia

Second and last cover received on 23/04/2009, and a new cover for my WWF collection! Thank you Ronny for sending me this cover with the very nice WWF serie picturing the Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa).

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clouded_Leopard)

Slovakia

Thank you Robert

WWF Macedonia

Only a short update today because I have a swelling on one of my eyes again and it's not only painful but also very irritating.

I did not receive a cover yesterday, but I got one today... and as you will see it's one that really pleases me :) Thank you very much Ana for sending me this wonderful cover from Skopje, Macedonia.


On the cover you see the complete WWF serie of Macedonia, issued in 2008 and picturing the Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoopoe)

See you again when I receive a new cover to show you!

Nature protection in Switzerland

This is the last cover I have on my desk at this moment, so this one will be the last update for this weekend. It's a cover from Switzerland, franked in the right top corner with a stamp commemorating the centenary of 'Pro Natura', the doyen of Switzerland's nature conservation organizations. Since 1909, it has championed the cause of Nature and still today, its main protection priorities are endangered species, spectacular landscapes and irreplaceable habitats.



Thank you Vural.

Wolves in Poland

Thank you Jerzy for sending me the two first day covers 'wolves' (canis lupus), issued in 1985.. In my opinion these are great items to further complete my WWF collection. The simplicity of the drawings makes these FDC really very attractive, I'm very happy with these items :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_Wolf

Preserve the Polar Regions and Glaciers + International Year of Astronomy

I'd like to thank Glenn very much for this nice cover from Canada, sent on 09/04/2009 from Calgary. April 9 is also the first day of issue of the Polar sheet.

"The stamps, featured on a souvenir sheet, were designed by Tiit Telmet of Toronto’s Telmet Design Associates. “Polar regions and glaciers respond very quickly to climate change,” says Telmet. “Their loss directly impacts human populations and ecosystems.” Creatures that inhabit the Arctic and Antarctic polar regions, the first to feel the dangerous effects of climate change, are featured on the stamps and souvenir sheet. “By focusing on these animals, our goal was to highlight the dangers they will face if action is not taken to preserve their habitats.”

In the top half of the souvenir sheet, an Arctic Fox explores a snowy Arctic landscape, alongside a stamp featuring a polar bear. In the lower half, a group of penguins congregate in an Antarctic setting, surrounding a stamp that features an Arctic Tern. “This bird serves as a link between the Arctic and Antarctic regions, since it migrates yearly between the North and South Poles,” adds Telmet. Though the Poles may seem far from home, these animals remind us that our actions have consequences, that all is connected, and that the loss of their habitats foreshadows the loss of our own."

(http://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/personal/collecting/stamps/2009/2009_apr_poles.jsf)

The other two stamps commemorate the International Year of Astronomy. I really like the design of these stamps, and I am very interested in the topic of space and astronomy. Most of you don't know this I guess, but in the past I have attended lectures on space and I also have my diploma 'space law'. So this is a topic I really appreciate :)

"Each stamp pairs an important Canadian observatory with a nebula. One stamp features the National Research Council’s Dominion Astrophysical Observatory (DAO) in Saanich, BC. Completed in 1918, the DAO was the first Canadian observatory of international calibre and, for a brief period, it was the largest operating telescope in the world. It is pictured before the Horsehead Nebula, an evocative cloud of cold gas and dust silhouetted against bright, swirling gases in the constellation of Orion.

The other stamp features the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT). This world-class 3.6 metre telescope is located atop the summit of Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano rising 4,200 metres above the Pacific Ocean. Opened in 1979, the highly-successful CFHT is Canada’s first partnership in an international observatory, in this case between the University of Hawaii, France’s Centre national de la recherche scientifique, and the National Research Council of Canada. The observatory is featured before the Eagle Nebula, a massive tower of cold gas and dust shaped like a mythical beast in the constellation of Serpens. Both nebulae were photographed by Jean-Charles Cuillandre with the CFHT."

(http://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/personal/collecting/stamps/2009/2009_apr_astronomy.jsf)

Austria cover

Thank you Florian for this new cover from Austria picturing Joseph Haydn, one of the greatest classical composers who lived from 1732 till 1809. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Haydn)

Joseph Haydn (31 March 1732 to 31 May 1809) was one of the leading Austrian Viennese Classicism composers . He was born in Rohrau in Lower Austria and grew up in modest circumstances. Discovered in 1740 by the Musical Director of St Stephen’s Cathedral, who was looking for new talent at the time, he moved to Vienna where he spent nine years with the St Stephen’s Boys’ Choir, and also received tuition in singing, the piano and the violin. The extensive oeuvre left behind by this great composer is ... more

200th Anniversary of the Death of Joseph Haydn

Joseph Haydn (31 March 1732 to 31 May 1809) was one of the leading Austrian Viennese Classicism composers . He was born in Rohrau in Lower Austria and grew up in modest circumstances. Discovered in 1740 by the Musical Director of St Stephen’s Cathedral, who was looking for new talent at the time, he moved to Vienna where he spent nine years with the St Stephen’s Boys’ Choir, and also received tuition in singing, the piano and the violin. The extensive oeuvre left behind by this great composer is still part of the concert repertoire around the world and loved by millions. Joseph Haydn wrote 108 symphonies, 24 operas, 14 masses, 6 oratorios, 35 concertos for various instruments, 83 string quartets, 46 piano trios, 21 string trios, 52 piano sonatas and an enormous quantity of lieder, motets and cantatas.

(text: www.post.at)

Superb covers from France

Thank you very much Eric Contesse from France for these two great covers from France, both picturing the WWF stamp from France issued in 1969. The animal pictured on both envelopes is the European Mouflon (Ovis gmelini musimon). This is a wild mountain sheep that has woolly underfur in winter, but is covered by heavy guard hairs. The coat is brown with a white belly and rump. Males have strong, curving horns. (Species Ovis ammon, family Bovidae.)

(also check Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mouflon)

The mouflon is an endangered species and in 2001, a cloned lamb was born in Sardinia, Italy, as part of a conservation strategy. It was the first endangered species to be successfully cloned. (http://encyclopedia.farlex.com/Ovis+gmelini+musimon)


The second cover also shows the souvenir sheet 'Preserve the Polar Regions and Glaciers', issued earlier this year. The sheet shows a polar landscape (0.56 euro stamp) and two Emperor Penguins with their young (0.85 euro stamp).

These are very very nice stamps, as are the Belgian ones. I'm very curious to see (and receive) other sheets for the protection of the polar regions :) Just today, I received another one from Canada, I will show you this one in a next post.

WWF cover from Algeria

Thank you very very much Mr. Ouari Khemissi from Algeria for this nice cover franked with three of the four WWF stamps issued in 1988 and picturing the Barbary Macaque (Macaca sylvanus).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbary_Macaque

A really amazing cover for my collection, I hope to get more covers like this one from all over the world :)

Another WWF cover from Italy

Thank you Lorenzo for this new WWF cover from Italy. The stamp in the right top corner of the envelope pictures the Sardinian red deer (Cervus elaphus corsicanus).


The other stamp was issued in 1994 in a serie commemorating the Second World War. On this stamp you can see the Battle of Montecassino (destruction of the abbey during WW II).

Year of the ox

Thank you Luis Alberto for this nice fdc from Brazil.

New cover from Mauritius

Thank you very much Tasneem! Thank you for the message on the endangered turtles serie, I'll wait for more information.

Traditional wedding costumes from Malaysia

Thanks to Ian

Amazing sheet from China

Thanks to Wei Xu from China!

Elephants!!

Thank you very very much Ravindra for your help with the beautiful elephants items (cover/stamp and postcard), I will certainly use them for the exhibition. :)

First cover from Slovenia!

Country number 70 in my collection: Slovenia! Thank you Lunder Tadei. Unfortunately one of the stamps is damaged, but the stamps are still very nice. I don't like flower stamps very much, but these are quite ok I think :) They are nicer than the Belgian flower stamps...


PS The information you asked for in your letter will be completed soon, I will mail it to you as soon as possible.

New issues Belgium (issue date 06/04/2009)

1. Europa 2009: Astronomy
   
   
   
   
2. Belgian comic strip figures: Suske en Wiske ('Spike and Suzy') (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spike_and_Suzy)
   
   
   
   
3. Unesco World Heritage:
   - neolithic flint mines (Spiennes)
   - our Lady of Flanders' Cathedral of Tournai (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tournai_Cathedral)
   - Plantin-Moretus complex (Antwerp) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantin-Moretus_Museum)
   - City Centre of Bruges (http://www.aboutbruges.com/uk/root/bruges-heritage-city.html)
   - Victor Horta - Mansions in Brussels (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Horta)
   
   
   
   
4. Woodcock
   
   

(Belgian Post - www.post.be)

cover from Ukraine

My first cover from Ukraine, and a very nice one because it's franked with 3 WWF stamps for my WWF collection. Thank you very much Anatoliy!

The animal pictured on the stamps, issued in 2007, is the Great white pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus). Click on this link to learn more about this animal: http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=3809&m=0 (website of BirdLife International)

'Palais des papes' in Avignon

Thanks to Roland


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palais_des_Papes

First cover from Belarus!!

Thank you very much Nargiza for this nice cover from Belarus, the first one in my collection.

Wishing stamps from Singapore

Thanks to Edmund!

Netherlands

Thank you Piet from Honselersdijk.

Taiwan scouts stamps

Thank you Wei Yi for this scouts cover, and also a big thank you for the 4 used stamps picturing endangered animals!

The triangular stamp commemorates the 20th Asia-Pacific / 8th Scouts of China National Jamboree, and was issued on 05/08/1998. The other one marks the centenary of World Scouting and was issued on 28/11/2007.

Special cover from Austria

Thank you Edna for this special cover with a stamp picturing 'Schloss Schönbrunn' in Vienna, one of the most important cultural monuments in Austria and - as you can imagine - also one of the major tourist attractions in Vienna. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sch%C3%B6nbrunn_Palace)

First cover from Myanmar

I'm very happy to have a cover from Myanmar (Burma) :) Nice stamps too, even though they are quite old.

Hong Kong

Thanks to Edward

Romania: cover + WWF stamps

Thank you László Kállai for the cover and (especially) for the WWF sheet! At this moment I am trying to get you stamps on your topic, you will hear from me soon.

First one from Northern Ireland

Thanks again to my parents!


postmark: Dungiven Londonderry

WWF Czech Republic

Thanks Milan for this nice WWF cover picturing endangered butterflies!


The butterflies shown on the stamps are:

1. Dusky Large Blue (Maculinea nausithous)
2. Scarce Large Blue (Maculinea teleius)
3. Alcon Blue (Maculinea alcon)
4. Common Large Blue (Maculinea arion)