Duckling

 

To jump, or not to jump..? After all, it's just a bucket...

I have sent this postcard to the Central PO in Zagreb to be sent back with a special postmark - I wanted to see if it still works! Well why wouldn't it...some might say. But in this country anything is possible. I have jumped into a new job (again it had to be only for the season) and into the forum tags and swaps - as a result already received some great mail 💓 I am curious about the official postcards though, still haven't received any. I am also trying to scan all my collections - was successful with olives, Sagittarius and Absolut Vodka, as they are only (half) a dozen each; but donkeys await..!

Have a nice sunday all 😊

UNESCO - Kluane National Park And Reserve, Canada

Kluane National Park and Reserve is part of one of those 'complicated' whs sites, namely Kluane/Wrangell-St. Elias/Glacier Bay/Tatshenshini-Alsek which beside Kluane comprises three other national parks, which again as a whole boast an impressive complex of glaciers and high peaks on both sides of the border between Canada (Yukon Territory and British Columbia) and the United States (Alaska). The spectacular natural landscapes are home to many grizzly bears, caribou and Dall's sheep. The site contains the largest non-polar icefield in the world.

The first postcard shows Mount Logan, standing at 5595 metres, which makes it the highest mountain in Canada and 2nd highest in North America. On the second are the aforementioned Dall Sheep, also known as thinhorn sheep, native to northwestern North America. As always a great swap with Jason, thank you :)

Autumn Doe

I hardly even blinked and two weeks since my last post have already passed...after a long period of sweltering heat today has finally brought some fresh air over the Croatian coast, and reminded me of just how much I long for the autumn to arrive - appropriately here is a lovely card from my autumn collection :) Thanks to Waka from Japan :)

The Fauna Of The Pyrenees

Cute creatures of the beautiful Pyrenees, thanks to Sébastien - he wrote that the native brown bear was almost extinct in this area, but its population was revived in the 90's with the introduction of brown bears from Slovenia.

European Hare

A lovely maxi-card from Heidi showing the European hare, which seems apt be posted while the spring is raging outside (though is it really? Part of spring is rain, and is not in sight for ages).

Generally nocturnal and shy in nature, hares change their behaviour in the spring, when they can be seen in broad daylight chasing one another around in fields. During this spring frenzy, they sometimes strike one another with their paws ("boxing"). This is usually not competition between males, but a female hitting a male, either to show she is not yet ready to mate or as a test of his determination. 

You go girl lol

Musk Ox, Norway

The muskox (Ovibos moschatus), (in Inuktitut: ᐅᒥᖕᒪᒃ, umingmak), is an Arctic mammal of the family Bovidae, noted for its thick coat and for the strong musky odor emitted during the seasonal rut by males, from which its name derives. Its Inuktitut name "umingmak" translates to "the bearded one". Muskoxen primarily live in Greenland and the Canadian Arctic of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, with small introduced populations in the American state of Alaska, the Canadian territory of Yukon, the Scandinavian Peninsula and Siberia.

The species was introduced from Banks Island in Canada to the Dovre mountain range of Norway in 1932 before they were hunted to extinction during the Second World War. The animal was reintroduced to Norway in 1947; this population expanded into Härjedalen, Sweden in 1971. An introduction attempt in Svalbard was carried out in 1925-26 and 1929; however, this population died out in the 1970s. They were also introduced in Iceland around 1930 but did not survive.

This somehow makes me sad even though the musk oxen are on the way of population recovery despite the historical overhunting...mostly because of the enforced new hunting regulations. In Norway there are about 300 in the protected Dovrefjell National Park.

I have chosen this postcard just now because this evening we watched a wonderful German documentary Abenteuer Nordsee (North Sea Adventure) which 'visited' all the coastal areas of the North Sea and the underwater in between them. There we saw two musk oxen slamming heads to get a girl. Their fur seems so velvety, I wonder if it is!

Thank you Nore :)

Patagonian Fox, Argentina

I have one this cute fox postcard in a lottery, how lucky :) Many thanks to Ana for organizing it.

The South American gray fox (Lycalopex griseus), also known as the Patagonian fox, the chilla or the gray zorro, is a species of Lycalopex, the "false" foxes. It is endemic to the southern part of South America. It is actually a small canid, measuring 65 to 110 centimetres in length. It is a largely solitary animal that has long been hunted for its pelt.

Good Morning From Gut Aiderbichl!

Not only is it a cute donkey, but there is also a wonderful story behind this card - Gut Aiderbichl is a 'paradise for saved animals', and their web-page tells it like this: 

Michael Aufhauser and Irene Florence were searching for a place to house Michael’s horses and for animal shelters to keep rescued animals. When they started out, there were only 25 animals. Their friendship with a bank manager helped them purchase the beautiful estate above Lake Wallersee by the town of Henndorf. Today Gut Aiderbichl is an international name. And that’s no surprise! The happy stories about our animals, initiatives and caring attitude towards those less powerful and the passionate plea on behalf of humanity at all life-stages coincides with mankind’s deepest instinct to pursue dreams.

Now there are 25 sanctuaries giving home to over 5600 animals. I have nothing but respect and admiration for people who dedicate their lives to saving animals. You can become a patron here! http://www.gut-aiderbichl.com/page.ph.php

I wish it could be so well-organised here in Croatia...I am sure there are enough kind-hearted people, but the paperwork to make anything functioning is dreadful, and to be honest we as a nation are still miles away from proactive thinking when it comes to animal rights...

It is an official card, yay :) Vielen Dank Lexi für diese wunderschöne Karte!

And the stamp with the kittens is supercute :))

Black Highlander

I have received about a dozen officials in the last few weeks, and this is one of my favourites - I didn't realise highland cattle were called 'black cattle' before as it was their predominant colour, now I mainly see the orangy ones and actually this is the first black one I have seen, or at least noticed. Such cool creatures! Thank you Morag :))

Asian Elephants, Sri Lanka

Cute elephants bathing (look at the little one!) at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, in Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka. The orphanage was originally founded in order to afford care and protection to many of the orphaned unweaned wild elephants found wandering in and near the forests of Sri Lanka. It was established in 1975 by the Sri Lanka Department of Wildlife Conservation. The orphanage is open to the public daily, and all admission fees are used to look after the elephants; visitors to the park can view the care and daily routine of the elephants, such as bottle feeding of elephant calves, feeding of all other elephants, and bathing in the Ma Oya (River).

I really hope they take good care of the elephants there...hearing all the bad stories about the sanctuaries in south-east Asia makes me feel cautious about such places. Best of luck to everyone involved!

And thank you Mariyam for another great card from you, this time with a matching stamp :)

 

Wolf, Fauna Of Belarus

I have to admit I really like this postcard series from Belarus, representing much of European continental fauna. This must also be the cutest Belarus stamp I have ever received, and to round it all up there is a special cancellation addition celebrating capital Minsk's birthday. Many thanks to Tania :))

Lynx From Belarus

A fantastic portrait of a lynx comes from Belarus, a huge card with a lot of info written on the back - i can read the cyrillics (however slowly heh) but sadly not the language. The stamp is equally picturesque showing the fauna of Naliboki Pushcha (one of four). Thank you Irina :)

Camels' Love

I felt like something sweet today, and I found this card which arrived about a year ago, sent by Weny (thank you!) who also asked me if I've ever tried camel's milk chocolate? No, I can't say that I have!

Tatra Chamois, Slovakia

The chamois is a goat-antelope species native to mountains in Europe, and has also been introduced to the South Island of New Zealand. Some subspecies of chamois are strictly protected in the EU under the European Habitats Directive - one of them being the Tatra chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra tatrica), living in the Tatra Mountains in Slovakia and Poland and, unknown to many, the Low Tatras in Slovakia, where it was artificially introduced because of concerns of survivability in its native range. 

Another precious animal threatened by mankind, but much is being done to sustain it. Thanks Lubo :)

Merino Rams, New Zealand

We all kind of know that sheep farming is one of the main industries in New Zealand ( newest statictics say, there are about 10 sheep per individual ) :) But here is something about Merino - is an economically influential breed of sheep prized for its wool. The breed is originally from Alentejo, south Portugal, from where it was introduced to Spain; its wool was already highly valued in the Middle Ages. Today, Merinos are still regarded as having some of the finest and softest wool of any sheep.

Many thanks to Tianyi Shi, who had a studying term in the kiwiland earlier this year :)

Btw the coolness of these merino sheep is very close to that of the highland cows..!

Western Green Lizard

IMHO a wonderful portrait of a wall lizard, as they are so common we take them for granted but they are capable of great posing! Heh. Many thanks to Regina for her surprise card for my collection :))

Dartmoor Ponies, UK

Helen lives on the edge of Dartmoor National Park, an area of moorland in south Devon, England. The Dartmoor pony is a horse breed that has lived in south western England for centuries and is used for a variety of disciplines. Because of the extreme weather conditions experienced on the moors, the Dartmoor is a particularly hardy breed with excellent stamina. Over the centuries it has been used as a working animal by local tin miners and quarry workers. It is kept in a semi-feral state on Dartmoor.

Very cute, thanks Helen! Also for the excellent stamps :))

Endemic Mauritius

Mauritius is located in the Indian Ocean to the east of Madagascar. Due to its isolation, it has a relatively low diversity of wildlife; however, a high proportion of these are endemic species occurring nowhere else in the world. Many of these are now threatened with extinction because of human activities including habitat destruction and the introduction of non-native species. Some have already become extinct, most famously the dodo which disappeared in the 17th century.

This postcard shows some of those wonderful endemic species that are critically endangered - Pink Pigeon. Day Gecko, Mauritius Kestrel, Echo Parakeet, Fody and Mauritius Olive White-Eye. Always a sad story...I mean look at that gorgeous colourful gecko, or tiny bird on human's fingertips...

Conservation work in Mauritius is carried out by the National Parks and Conservation Service (NPCS) and by non-governmental organizations such as the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF) and Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust (DWCT). Efforts to preserve native flora and fauna have included captive breeding, habitat restoration and the eradication of introduced species.

Thank you Xahrah :)

Philippine Fauna

New lizard and new cute animal for my collections, thanks to Isabel :)

Varanus salvator (water monitor lizard) is a large lizard native to South and Southeast Asia. Water monitors are one of the most common monitor lizards found throughout Asia, and range from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India to Indochina, the Malay Peninsula, and various islands of Indonesia, living in areas close to water.

Tragulus napu (greater mouse deer)  is solitary and nocturnal. It uses small trails through thick brush in the forest. It was thought to be regionally extinct in Singapore until it was rediscovered on an offshore island in 2008. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest.

Chain Postcard - Tree Frog

I participated in quite a few chain postcards this year, thanks to Leon of Slovenia. I love the colours on the postcard, and of course the stamps are great too :)