Short-Eared Owl and Scops Owl (private swap)

Today I received two wonderful postcards from Georgiana (Canada): Short-Eared Owl (Asio flammeus) and Scops Owl (Otus scops).

Asio flammeus

This is the Owl most likely to be seen during the day, soaring and gliding on strikingly long wings, or perched in the open watching for prey, with a rather frowning expression and yellow eyes. Black 'elbow patches' show on the wings when in flight. The short ear tufts are usually not visible. During the wing-clapping high display flight, a short triple hoot call may be heard and there is also a harsh barking flight call. its prey consists of small birds and rodents, and in winter, birds may congregate in good feeding areas. - David Alderton, Encyclopedia of European Birds, Parragon Books Ltd, 2008, p.216.

About postcard: Oriental City Publishing Group Limited Issued.


Otus scops

This hard-to-see Owl is most easily detected by the far-carrying monotone call, an endless repetition of 'piu piu piu'. Females sometimes perform duets with males. If it is located in a roost site, the Scops Owl will sit up straight with eyes closed and ear tufts raised. It nests in holes in walls or trees, or uses old corvid nests, feeding young on large insects.- David Alderton, Encyclopedia of European Birds, Parragon Books Ltd, 2008, p.209.

About postcard: Oriental City Publishing Group Limited Issued.

GB-205728 Barn Owl

Hurray! A new owl postcard! Barn Owl (Tyto alba), from Dorothy (Great Britain).

BRITISH BIRDS by David Parry
Like all owls, the barn owl benefits from excellent binocular vision as it hunts for food, usually at dawn and dusk. More widespread, though less numerous, than the tawny owl, it breeds in almost every county in Britain.

About postcard: Printed and published by J.Salmon Ltd., Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1BB. 14-18-68-45

IL-11007 Eagle Owl

My mailbox was happy again today! I received a wonderful postcard with Eagle Owl from Danny (Israel).

The eagle owl is the largest of the night birds of prey. His echoing screech is a means of communication with his brethren and it can be heard at nights in the hill areas, where he nests in caves and in the clefts of rocks.

About postcard: Palphot Ltd. Herzlia, 9360, made in Israel.

PH-22796 Philippine Eagle Owl

Today I also received a beautiful postcard with the Philippine Eagle Owl (Bubo philippensis) from Janine (Philippine).

The Philippine Eagle Owl is a vulnerable species of bird, endemic to the Philippine. It is known locally as the “kuwago” or “bukao”.

Identification:  40 cm. Largish owl with small ear-tufts. Yellow eyes. Rufous-buff facial disc. Tawny-rufous crown and upper-parts with conspicuous dark brown shaft-streaks. Dark brown wings and tail with buff barring. Whitish underparts, washed rufous especially on breast, with bold dark streaks. Subspecies B. p. mindanensis similar though darker.  
Similar species: Giant Scops-owl (Mimizuku gurneyi) is smaller with dark not yellow eyes and has very different vocalisations.
Voice: Long series of bububububub calls fading away at the end and high-pitched screams.
Habitat: It appears to be a sedentary resident of lowland forest, sometimes near watercourses, generally below 650 m but occasionally up to 1,250 m (e.g. on Leyte). It tolerates disturbed, selectively logged and secondary forest and even coconut plantations with patches of thick secondary growth. - BirdLife International

About postcard: National Bookstore, Inc., Manila, Philippines, 2001.

AU-122218 Barn Owlpostcard and Southern Boobook Owl stamp

Today my mailbox was happy again :) A very nice postcard with a Barn Owl (Tyto alba) sent by Heather (Australia) with two beautiful stamps, one of them with the Southern Boobook Owl (Ninox novaeseelandiae).

Tyto alba

 

The barn owl inhabits caves, woodlands, barns and other buildings. it is a monogamous animal. Pair bond with its partner lasts for several years, until one of the partners die.

About postcard: Singapore Zoological Gardens - www.zoo.com.sg / www.nightsafari.com.sg.

Ninox novaeseelandiae

This Southern Boobook Owl was hit by a car while it was chasing prey in the beams of its headlights. It suffered a serious injury to its right eye - an injury that can prove fatal for nocturnal birds that depend on acute eyesight and stereo vision to locate their prey. The baby owl was taken to Kanyana Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in Western Australia, where it was treated for its injuries. 

 

About stamp: 
Issue date: 5 October 2010
Denominations: 60 cents
Stamp design: Sharon Rodziewicz
Product design: Sharon Rodziewicz
Printer: McKellar Renown
Paper: Tullis Russell
Printing process: Lithography
Stamp size: 26mm x 37.5mm 

 The Wildlife Caring: Rescue to Release stamp issue coincided with Wildlife Awareness Month in Australia. The issue was released for Stamp Collecting Month, which aims to bring the enjoyment of stamp collecting to children through educational themes. These particular stamps draw attention to the importance of Australian wildlife carers and their ability to return animals to their native habitat after injury or illness. - Australia Post

 Update: On March 7, 2011 I also received two self-adhesive stamps with Ninox novaeseelandiae, in mint condition. Thank you again, Heather!

 

MD-2071 Ural Owl

Yesterday I received a wonderful postcard with the Ural Owl (Strix uralensis) - huhurezul mare in Romanian, from Leisea (Moldova).

"In Europe, the breeding population is estimated to number 53000-140000 breeding pairs, equating to 159000-420000 individuals (BirdLife International 2004). Europe forms 5-24% of the global range, so a very preliminary estimate of the global population size is 500000-8000000 individuals, although further validation of this estimate is needed." - IUCN Red List of Threatened Species About postcard: Posta Moldovei - Moldavian Post, 2009, painter Vasile Movileanu, no.312/09, 3000 copies issued.

DE-836998 Eagle Owl

Today I received a wonderful postcard with an Eurasian Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo) from Simona (Germany).

Voice: A deep, monotonous "oohu-oohu-oohu". The female's call is slightly higher than the male's. When threatened, they may bark and growl.
Hunting & Food: Eagle Owls have various hunting techniques, and will take prey on the ground or in full flight. They may hunt in forests, but prefer open spaces.
Eagle Owls will eat almost anything the moves - from beetles to roe deer fawns. The major part of their diet consists of mammals (Voles, rats, mice, foxes, hares etc.), but birds of all kinds are also taken, including crows, ducks, grouse, sea-birds, and even other birds of prey (including other owls). Other prey taken include snakes, lizards, frogs, fish, and crabs.
The most common type of prey depends largely on relative availability, but are usually voles and rats. In some coastal areas, they have been known to feed mainly on ducks and sea-birds.
Pellets are somewhat compressed, irregularly cylindrical or conical shaped, averaging about 75 x 32 mm. - www.owlpages.com

About postcard: "Diese karte wurde verschickt mit www.PokaMax.de" / This postcard was sent with www.PokaMax.de. Watercolour by Friedhelm Weick, 1991.

Barn Owl (private swap)

On February 17, 2011 I received from Valeria (Russia) a beautiful Russian postcard with two Barn Owls (Tyto alba).

Medium-sized, pale owl, lacking feather ears, with a heart-shaped facial disc, and dark eyes; upper-parts grey, mixed with golden brown spots. In flight very long wings obvious. Usually nocturnal, may hunt by day in winter.

Voice: alarm call a short shrill "khrii"; also snoring and hissing noises. Song: two second long purring screech.

Austrian Barn Owl FDC

A couple of days ago I finally received my FDC ordered two weeks ago from the On-line shop of the Austrian Post.

Barn Owl (Tyto alba) - Schleiereule, in German

The First Day Cover with the Official Special Postmark of Trautenfels.

The village of Trautenfels is a small settlement around the Trautenfels Castle, situated directly on the Enns. The castle is on a small hill which towers about 30 meters above the valley floor. In 1261 it was called a castle (Burg) for the first time. In the baroque era it was given its present appearance by Friedrich von Trauttmannsdorf. Today it is in the possession of the Austrian Federal State of Styria and is managed by the Universalmuseum Joanneum as a museum and exhibition center.

Date of release: April 5, 2009

FI-1005727 Snowy Owl

Yesterday I received again the beautiful postcard with the Snowy Owl (Nyctea scandiaca) flying through the blue sky, from Juha (Finland).

LT-111570 Cute little owl

A nice postcard with many animals and a cute little owl, received on February 3, 2011 from Giede (Lithuania). Can you find my owl?  :D

Great Horned Owl's eye? (private swap)

February 1, 2011 - the first owl postcard of the month, received from Anamaria (Romania). It's an amazing photo of an owl's eye (we think so considering its position, yellow colour and round shape). As it is not written on the postcard the name of the bird, I don't know exactly what kind of owl she is. For me it looks like an eye of a Great Horned Owl, but I am not sure. The photographer is Austrian and the Great Horned Owl doesn't live in Europe. Eagle Owl?

About postcard: Weidelsburg Verlag; photo: Wolfgang Willner.

US-980158 Barred Owl

On January 31, 2011 the Wilson Family (United States) sent me a nice postcard with a Barred Owl (Strix varia) from Lake Hope State Park, Ohio.

The adult is 44–46 cm (17–18 in) long with a 101–115 cm (40–45 in) wingspan. It has a pale face with dark rings around the eyes, a yellow beak and brown eyes. It is the only typical owl of the eastern United States which has brown eyes; all others have yellow eyes. The head is round and lacks ear tufts, a distinction from the Short-eared Owl. The upper parts are mottled gray-brown. The underparts are light with markings; the chest is barred horizontally while the belly is streaked lengthwise. The legs and feet are covered in feathers up to the talons.

About postcard: