Treasures from German Museums

Demoiselle Crane (蓑羽鶴) ; Red-billed Toucan (紅嘴巨嘴鳥) and
Black Crowned-Crane (黑冕鶴)
Germany (2017)
2nd January, 2017. Bonn

The French court painter Jean-Baptiste Oudry (1686-1755) set the vain beauty contest of three feathered opponents in his painting "Pfefferfresser, Jungfern- und Haubenkranich" (1745). The master of the exotic animal portrait does not only understand the virtuoso play with color and light. Experts also attest to a subtle and nuanced approach to his "models", which gives these almost human traits. On the threshold of Rococo at the time of the Enlightenment animals were also given a soul in animals.

Oudry, one of the most important painters of his time and a respected figure in the cultural life of Paris, studied the behavior of animals in nature. As court painter of Louis XV. He specialized in dramatic jazz scenes, which belonged to the king's favorite subjects. Famous is his zoologically accurate depiction of the exotic animals in the royal menagerie - especially the life-size picture of the Indian rhino lady "Clara". For about 25 years Oudry worked for the French court and made a name for himself all over Europe. Until his death, he created around 1000 paintings and 3000 drawings.

The impressive painting by Clara was shown in the Paris Salon in 1749, and in 1750 by Duke Christian Ludwig II of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, together with a series of menagerie paintings. Around 56 drawings by the celebrated court painter went into the possession of the Schweriner Hof, so that today a closed collection of Oudry's works is still located in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. With 34 paintings - among them "pepper-eaters, gannets and caterpillars" - and about forty manuscripts, Schwerin owns the worlds largest collection of the French animal painter. The menagerie paintings were moved from Staatliche Museum Schwerin to the baroque palace Ludwigslust in 2016, 35 kilometers south of the state capital.

Varity events in Germany

Bird of the year 2016 :
Goldfinch (紅額金翅雀)
Germany (2016)
11th September, 2011. Neckarwestheim

50th anniversary of BSV :
Goldfinch (紅額金翅雀)
Germany (2016)
6th November, 2011. Gaildof

150th anniversary of Post in Haiteebach :
Common Cuckoo (普通杜鵑)
Germany (2017)
15th January, 2017. Haiteebach

Wildes Deutschland

Postmark : Golden Eagle (金鵰)
Germany (2016)
26th June, 2016. Zürpich

Postmark : Nightingale (夜鶯)
Germany (2016)
23rd June, 2016. Berlin

Phytogeographically, Germany is shared between the Atlantic European and Central European provinces of the Circumboreal Region within the Boreal Kingdom. The territory of Germany can be subdivided into two ecoregions: European-Mediterranean montane mixed forests and Northeast-Atlantic shelf marine.[37] The majority of Germany is covered by either arable land (33%) or forestry and woodland (31%). Only 15% is covered by permanent pastures. Plants and animals are those generally common to middle Europe. Beeches, oaks, and other deciduous trees constitute one-third of the forests; conifers are increasing as a result of reforestation. Spruce and fir trees predominate in the upper mountains, while pine and larch are found in sandy soil. There are many species of ferns, flowers, fungi, and mosses. Fish abound in the rivers and the North Sea. Wild animals include deer, wild boar, mouflon, fox, badger, hare, and small numbers of beaver. Various migratory birds cross Germany in the spring and autumn.

Goldfinch

Goldfinch (紅額金翅雀)
Germany (2016)

3rd May, 2016. Berlin

Lichtenberg is the eleventh borough of Berlin, Germany. In Berlin's 2001 administrative reform it absorbed the former borough of Hohenschönhausen.

The district contains the Tierpark Berlin in Friedrichsfelde, the larger of Berlin's two zoological gardens. Lichtenberg was also the site of the extensive headquarters complex of the Stasi, the East German intelligence service. Prior to the establishment of the GDR it housed the main office of the Soviet Military Administration in Berlin, and before that it was an officers' mess of the Wehrmacht. The complex is now the location of the Stasi Museum. The Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial is on the site of the main remand prison of the Stasi. Lichtenberg is also the location of the German-Russian Museum, the historical venue of the unconditional surrender of the German armed forces (Wehrmacht) on 8 May 1945.

Saxon Switzerland

White-throated Dipper (河烏)
 Germany (2016)

2nd June, 2016. Berlin

Saxon Switzerland is a hilly climbing area and national park around the Elbe valley south-east of Dresden in Saxony, Germany. Together with the Bohemian Switzerland in the Czech Republic it forms the Elbe Sandstone Mountains.

Saxon Switzerland alone has some 1,000 climbing peaks, as well as several hollows. The area is popular with Dresden locals and international climbers.

The administrative district for the area is Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge. The fortress of Königstein is a well-known landmark.

Bavarian Forest

Bavarian Forest (巴伐利亞森林國家公園)

Germany (2016)
2nd January, 2016. Bonn

Bavarian Forest is a wooded low-mountain region in Bavaria, Germany. It extends along the Czech border and is continued on the Czech side by the Šumava (Bohemian Forest). Geographically the Bavarian Forest and Bohemian Forest are sections of the same mountain range. A part of the Bavarian Forest belongs to the Bavarian Forest National Park (Nationalpark Bayerischer Wald) (240 km²), established in 1970 as the first national park in Germany. Another 3,008 km² belong to the Bavarian Forest Nature Park (Naturpark Bayerischer Wald), established 1967, and 1738 km² to the Eastern Bavarian Forest Nature Park (Naturpark Oberer Bayerischer Wald), established 1965. The Bavarian Forest is a remnant of the Hercynian Forest that stretched across southern Germania in Roman times. It is the largest protected forest area in central Europe.

Postmark features Eurasian Capercaillie (松雞), also known as the wood grouse, heather cock, or just capercaillie, is the largest member of the grouse family. The largest known specimen, recorded in captivity, had a weight of 7.2 kg. The species shows extreme sexual dimorphism, with the male twice the size of the female. Found across Europe and Asia, this spectacular ground-living forest bird is renowned for its mating display. The United Kingdom population, confined to the pine forests of Scotland, is in rapid decline and threatened with extinction. However, individuals in Northern Europe and Asia number in the millions, and therefore the worldwide population is categorised as "Least concern".

Bird of the year : Northern Goshawk

 

Northern Goshawk (蒼鷹)
Germany (2015)
8th November, 2015. Gaildorf

Northern Goshawk is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes other diurnal raptors, such as eagles, buzzards and harriers. As a species in the Accipiter genus, the goshawk is often considered a true "hawk".

It is a widespread species that inhabits the temperate parts of the Northern Hemisphere. It is the only species in the Accipiter genus found in both Eurasia and North America. With the exception of Asia, it is the only species of "goshawk" in its range and it is thus often referred to, both officially and unofficially, as simply the "goshawk". It is mainly resident, but birds from colder regions migrate south for the winter. In North America, migratory goshawks are often seen migrating south along mountain ridge tops in September and October.

Northern Goshawk (蒼鷹)
Germany (2015)
28th November, 2015. Rhönblick

Rhein-Ruhr-Posta 2015

Postmark : Little Owl (縱紋腹小鴞)

Germany (2015)
17th April, 2015. Löhne

The little owl is a bird that inhabits much of the temperate and warmer parts of Europe, Asia east to Korea, and north Africa. It is not native to Great Britain and was first introduced in 1842 by Thomas Powys[dubious – discuss] and is now naturalised. It was also successfully introduced to the South Island of New Zealand in the early 20th century.

This species is among the larger grouping of owls that is known as typical owls, Strigidae, which contains most species of owl. The other grouping is the barn owls, Tytonidae.

Wild Germany - Bodden

 

First day postmark : Common Crane (灰鶴)
Germany (2015)
2nd January, 2015. Berlin

 

First day postmark : Pied Avocet (反嘴鷸)
Germany (2015)
2nd January, 2015. Bonn

First day postmark : Black-headed Gull (紅嘴鷗)
Germany (2015)
2nd January, 2015. Bonn

Bodden are briny bodies of water forming lagoons, along the southwestern shores of the Baltic Sea, primarily in Germany's state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Especially around the island of Rügen, Usedom and the Fischland-Darss-Zingst peninsula, these lagoons can be found. Part of them are protected reserves, forming the Western Pomerania Lagoon Area National Park.

They have a distinctive geological origin and are enclosed by peninsulae, spits and islands, leaving only narrow connections to adjacent bodden or the open sea. Freshwater inflow from the mainland and saltwater inflow from the open sea, which depends on wind direction and force as well as the proximity of the bodden to the sea, result in fluctuating salt gradients and distinctive ecosystems.

European Green Woodpecker

European Green Woodpecker (綠啄木鳥)
Germany (2014)
9th November, 2014. Gaildorf

European green woodpecker is a member of the woodpecker family Picidae. There are four subspecies and it occurs in most parts of Europe and in western Asia. All have green upperparts, paler yellowish underparts, a red crown and moustachial stripe which has a red centre in males but is all black in females.

The European green woodpecker spends much of its time feeding on ants on the ground and does not often 'drum' on trees like other woodpecker species. It is a shy bird but usually draws attention with its loud calls. A nest hole is excavated in a tree; four to six eggs are laid which hatch after 19–20 days.

BALTEX 2014

Pictorial postmark : White Stork (白鸛)
Germany (2014)
29th August, 2014. Bonn

BALTEX 2014 is a national stampexhibition that have be held in Malmö, Sweden's third largest city in the center of the vibrant Öresund region. The exhibition was opened 29-31 August 2014.

In 1954 the last breeding attempt by the White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) in Sweden failed and the species was declared extinct from the Swedish fauna. Reasons for the extinction are thought to be a combination of issues such as habitat conversion, increased mortality and an overall decline of the European White Stork populations. Since 1989 an ongoing reintroduction programme for the White Stork has been established in Scania, southern Sweden. The aim of the reintroduction programme is to reestablish a naturally breeding population of White Storks. The approach is based on captive breeding and release of established pairs that settle and breed in the vicinity to the release sites. The White Stork is also used as a flagship species for the restoration of the Swedish wetlands that have been severely affected by drainage to the point that 90% has disappeared from the area.

75 years of Adlerwarte Berlebeck

Pictorial postmark : Red Kite (紅鳶)
Germany (2014)
22th June, 2014. Detmold

The Adlerwarte Berlebeck is a bird park in the district of Detmold Berlebeck. It was founded in 1939 by husband and wife Kati and Adolf Deppe and is now an institution of the city of Detmold. Not only because of their location near the Hermann Monument in the Teutoburg Forest is a popular destination and in recent years, more than 100,000 visitors each after Berlebeck.

Nicely landscaped and located on the flight of birds on a low ridge, the Adlerwarte Berlebeck is a home to 46 different raptor species with a total of about 200 raptors. During the season several times a day instead of free-flight demonstrations. For this purpose a revolving stage was set up with 160 seats. In a teaching and information center Find out more about birds of prey, the history of falconry and the tasks of the Eagle is mediated in wildlife conservation.

European Green Woodpecker

 

Pictorial postmark : European Green Woodpecker (綠啄木鳥)
Postmark : Germany (2014)
4th May, 2014. Rohr

European Green Woodpecker is a member of the woodpecker family Picidae. There are four subspecies and it occurs in most parts of Europe and in western Asia. All have green upperparts, paler yellowish underparts, a red crown and moustachial stripe which has a red centre in males but is all black in females. It spends much of its time feeding on ants on the ground and does not often 'drum' on trees like other woodpecker species. It is a shy bird but usually draws attention with its loud calls. A nest hole is excavated in a tree; four to six eggs are laid which hatch after 19–20 days.

Floodplain in the Lower Oder Valley

White Stork (白鸛)
Germany (2014)
12th February, 2014. Mühlau

The Lower Oder Valley International Park is a shared German-Polish nature reserve. It comprises the western banks of the Oder river within the Uckermark district in the German state of Brandenburg as well as the steep eastern banks in the Gryfino and Police counties of the Polish West Pomeranian Voivodeship further north.

The German part of the core area is the Nationalpark Unteres Odertal (Lower Oder Valley National Park). There is an information centre at Criewen. The Polish part of the core area is the Park Krajobrazowy Dolina Dolnej Odry (Lower Odra Valley Landscape Park). The area comprises 165 km2 (64 sq mi) (Germany 105 km2 (41 sq mi), Poland 60 km2 (23 sq mi)); together with adjoining nature reserves in Germany and Poland the total area is 1,172 km2 (453 sq mi). By decision of the German-Polish Environmental Council in 1992 the German, Polish and Brandenburg environment ministers as well as the voivode of Szczecin created the Lower Oder Valley International Park.

Blue Tit

Blue Tit (藍山雀)
 Germany (2013)
6th October, 2013. Wirges

Seems it still an extension series of Germany birds, which issued on August, 2013.

Blue tits, usually resident and non-migratory birds, are widespread and a common resident breeder throughout temperate and subarctic Europe and western Asia in deciduous or mixed woodlands with a high proportion of oak. They usually nest in tree holes, although they easily adapt to nest boxes where necessary. The main rival for nests and search for food is the much larger Great Tit.

The bird of the year 2013 (Revised)

Postmark : Common Snipe (田鷸)
Germany (2013)
20th July, 2013. Ober-Mörlen

This year, Germany choose Common Snipe as the bird of the year. The bird adults are 25–27cm in length with a 44–47cm wingspan and a weight of 80–140g (up to 180g pre-migration). They have short greenish-grey legs and a very long straight dark bill. The body is mottled brown with straw-yellow stripes on top and pale underneath. They have a dark stripe through the eye, with light stripes above and below it and the wings are pointed.

Overall, the species is not threatened. Populations on the southern fringes of the breeding range in Europe are however declining with local extinction in parts of England and Germany), mainly due to field drainage and agricultural intensification.

Personal stamp : Common Snipe (田鷸)
Germany (2013)
15th September, 2013. Oepfershausen

Birds of Germany

From left to right :
58+27c : Goldfinch (紅額金翅雀) ; 90+40c : Eurasian Bullfinch (紅腹灰雀)
145+55c : Blue Tit (藍山雀)
Germany (2013)
8th August, 2013. Berlin

Finally, I got a cover from Germany with features real bird issue. Three species are selected for the stamps but they are quite ordinary to European area. It seems not necessary to make any descriptions again to these three species, however I received another cover which sent by an eBay seller, it is so pity that the postmark not in good condition but the stamps cancelled on August 6, two days before day of issue. Is it situation ordinary in Germany ?

From left to right :
145+55c : Blue Tit (藍山雀) ; 58+27c : Goldfinch (紅額金翅雀)
90+40c : Eurasian Bullfinch (紅腹灰雀)
Germany (2013)
6th August, 2013. Herten

Goldfinch (紅額金翅雀)
Germany (2013)
8th August, 2013. Walsorde

Eurasian Bullfinch (紅腹灰雀)
Germany (2013)
8th August, 2013. Berlin

 

Blue Tit (藍山雀)
 Germany (2013)
8th August, 2013. Berlin

Lower Saxon Wadden Sea National Park

Nationalpark Wattenmeer (下薩克森瓦登海國家公園)
Germany (2013)
1st July, 2013. Berlin

The Lower Saxon Wadden Sea National Park was established in 1986 and embraces the East Frisian Islands, mudflats and salt marshes between the Bay of Dollart on the border with the Netherlands in the west and Cuxhaven as far as the Outer Elbe shipping channel in the east. The national park has an area of about 345,800 hectares. The National Park organisation is located in Wilhelmshaven. Since June 2009 the Lower Saxon Wadden Sea National Park has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea and the Dutch Wadden Sea.

The first day cancellation illustrated Common Gull (海鷗), an ordinary seabird of North Sea.

Berchtesgaden National Park

Berchtesgaden National Park (貝希特斯加登國家公園)
Germany (2013)
1st July, 2013. Bonn

Berchtesgaden National Park is in the south of Germany, on its border with Austria, in the municipalities of Ramsau bei Berchtesgaden and Schönau am Königsee, Berchtesgadener Land, Free State of Bavaria. The national park was established in 1978 to protect the landscapes of the Berchtesgaden Alps. Headquartered in the town of Berchtesgaden, the park was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1990.

The first day postmark illustrated Griffon Vulture (黑白禿鷲) which is one of ordinary bird of prey to be found in the national park.

The bird of the year 2012

Postmark : Eurasian Jackdaw (寒鴉)
Germany (2012)
20th October, 2011. Neubrandenburg

Last year, I shown here a pictorial postmark from Germany, which is Redstart (紅尾鴝). Actually, one bird will be represented in each year, and in 2012, it is Jackdaw.

Jackdaw has been illustrated as postmark on May, marked an event in Kaltennordheim. What bird will be represented in next year?