Cormorans, Serbia

Like Ana would surely agree, its difficult to go to the Serbian PO and leave empty-handed ;) This WWF set dedicated to cormorans was issued in 2011. I might have mentioned before I am a big fan of Serbian Post issues, this being no exception :)

Enlarged as suggested!

Birds Of Prey, Czech Republic

I have just realised I have this nice set for Sunday Stamps, something Radim sent me last year for an Animal group in the RR :) Birds of Prey issued in 2003, representing Red Kite (Milvus Milvus), Peregrine Falcon (Falco Peregrinus) and Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus Pennatus). 

New Zealand Vintage

Stamps from 1967 definitives series, and special aviatic cancellation :)

Federal Republic Of Germany

An envelope sent to my host family in Germany, and it almost ended up in a rubbish bin! The stamps are all from 1970 (including Europa Cept) with the exception of the bottom left one from 1969. Love vintage stamps!

Croatian Ethnographic Heritage

Again an early post for Sunday Stamps, this time for the theme ethnic or national costumes. Some of these stamps may be recognised as they were issued as definitives (like the even more familiar set from 2010 which gives us postcrossers the goosebumps of terror as they are often the only stamps they sell in POs, to this day!). Represented are the details of national costumes from five different regions in Croatia.

Other (I am sure) great posts check here:

Mauritius Vintage

This is a cover I fished out in a small philatelic shop in Israel, dated in 1960 (pre-independance). The back holds an Israeli cancellation and pictorial postmark.

Peru Vintage

I have found these by a random street seller in Lima, he had a whole bundle of old postal items so I've chosen two FDCs issued in my birth year 1977 :)

The Orchids Of Peru

Another mini-sheet that I wanted to share is this flowery set from Peru issued in 2010, showing four types of orchids that can be found on this country's soil. I wish to see them 'in person' one day...

Amazon Alive

I just realised that I have a few mini-sheets that fit the se-tenant category :) I have only now spotted that Royal Mail issued this set as Europa stamps for the 2011 theme International Year Of Forest. I just love the brightness of colours! And the message that reminds us how important the Amazon Forest is for our planet...

Tren A Las Nubes, Argentina

Theme for this week's Sunday Stamps is se-tenant stamps. I have only recently learned this is the name for stamps that are printed from the same plate and sheet and adjoin one another, unsevered in a strip of block. They may defer in design but also (as a much cooler example) have a continuous design so two or more stamps together make a whole image. Because of the size these would be difficult to use on a postcard (though I did receive one such example just last week! why not post that too :)) and the 'mini'sheet (from 2011) used here is actually much, much bigger and impossible to put on a cover even..!

These two stamps show the first stages of the development of  the Tren a las Nubes (Train to the Clouds), a popular touristic train service in Salta Province, Argentina's northwest. The mini-sheet is full of information like the heights that the train reaches on its way, which animals you can see there...The construction started in 1921, it encompasses 29 bridges, 21 tunnels, 13 viaducts, 2 spirals and 2 zigzags - the highest point is at 4220 meters! Who wouldn't wanna ride on it, it sounds amazing!!

To top it all the shape of the stamps is also not ordinary. I like it that the Sunday Stamps inspires me to look more into the wonderful covers and stamps that I've received over the years :)) Muchas gracias German! More to see here:

Belgrade Zoo

This is an FDC that doesn't cover any of the usual topic on Sunday Stamps, so I've decided to slide it in for the anything you wish theme this sunday...I've hurried a bit as I won't be online on sunday.

This set of stamps celebrates 75th anniversary of the Belgrade zoo, which is one of the oldest in Europe. The name of the city means white(beo) city(grad) and the zoo tries to accommodate as many unusual white species as possible. I think idea in itself is marvelous - my concern is that the zoo holds too many species in a small space, now I've also read that its the reason it is not accredited by any international zoo association...I wish something could be done about this, in fact about every crammed zoo there is. Otherwise the joyous moment of seeing such splendid animals can turn into a sad one within seconds...

I am sure there will be many great stamps shown for the open theme day, here!

Croatian Insects

Seven-spot Ladybird, Alpine Longicorn and Stag Beetle. Am not a huge fan of insects, but these are lovely! 

Post Boxes, Malaysia

For this week's Sunday Stamps the theme is the post, letters, post boxes, etc. I thought this cover is perfect, including 3 out of 10 stamps from the set Post Boxes issued in 2011. Each stamp shows a mailbox typical for a certain city/region in Malaysia - its curious cos in my country all mailboxes look the same..!

Thank you very much Nurul :))

Have a look at other entries here: