Tonga - The Shining Red Parrot.

This stamp intrigued me and made me go after it.The Maroon Shining Parrot.

A stamp first released in 1897 and surcharged over in 1922  then re-issued in 1942 to 1943 .

1897 - Turtle Watermark
1922 - a surcharge
1942 1943 - Crown Watermark.

this stamp is a nice collectible ,  the designs are the same across the years .

Tonga has some colorful stamps of different shapes and sizes the Parrot has been a frequent theme on their postage stamps , also they show a lot of colorful birds.

1897

As a one off just collecting a single 1897 / 1942 should help a bird collecting enthusiast.

1942/1943 variants

Thailand 1967 .

A lovely set to collect in Mint/used.

20s-Great Hornbill   
25s-Common Hill Myna    
50s- White-rumped Shama    
1b-Siamese Fireback    
1.50b-Spotted Dove    
2b-Sarus Crane    
3b - White-throated Kingfisher    
5b-  Asian Openbill 

Heron..

A Grey Heron at "Seal Sanctuary, Cornwall UK".

Scarlet Ibis .

A juvenile Scarlet Ibis is a mix of grey, brown, and white. As it grows, a heavy diet of red crustaceans produces the scarlet coloration and makes it a beautiful bird .

I seen one at the London zoo and its color was just amazing...

Botswana Birds - 1997

Barbados - Nice birds 1979 (continued 1981,82)

A lovely set and includes some lovely birds like the Green-throated Carib which i hope to see someday ; the set has 17 values in 1979 and 55c , 15c, 40c, 60c in 1981 and 1982 .

1c Grassland Yellow Finch  

2c Grey Kingbird  

5c Barbados Bullfinch  

8c Magnificent Frigatebird  

10c Western Cattle Egret  

12c Green Heron  

20c Antillean Crested Hummingbird  

25c Common Ground Dove  

28c Carib Grackle  

35c Green-throated Carib  

45c Zenaida Dove  

50c Scaly-naped Pigeon  

70c Bananaquit  

1$  Caribbean Elaenia  

2.50$ American Redstart  

5$ Belted Kingfisher  

10$ Common Gallinule

55c American Golden Plover

15c Carib Grackle  

40c Scaly-naped Pigeon

60c Bananaquit

The Humming bird is a beautiful bird ; one of the smallest bird and has amazing strength in its wings .....

France - 1947 : Good stamp.

A good stamp by far...a Birdseye view. The European Herring Gull .

A lovely stamp and a favorite.

Japan 1998 - Paintings & Wood Block Prints .

Paintings on Stamps is a good topical stamp collection to start - I have collected them in form of Birds / wildlife / flowers" represented .

There are lot of good stamps where in noted painters have captured the natural realm in its real form - but I set a focus away from the more traditional to some what fantastical - and the paintings for one artist in Japan got my focus early - though I read about his accomplishments quite late - while writing this post.

The Japanese artist is  Ito Jakuchu - I just seen  some paintings online and they really catch the eye .

Please visit wiki -paintings / any web site showcasing free access to view the art works .

Paintings and wood-block printings of flowers and birds in the seasons:Selection from the paintings and wood-block printings by Ito Jakuchu (painter/wood-block printing artist).

Issue for  International Letter Writing Week &  Greeting 1998.

Se-tenant pairs Designs Inter-national  Letter Writing Week:

start from top left - along to the right...

1. Small fowls in autumnal hue's. (90)

2. Mandarin ducks in snow .(110)

3. Butterflies at peonies (130)

4. Parakeet in a Oak. (90)

5. Golden pheasant and bamboo in snow. (110)

6. Parakeet at roses. (130)