Philippines

23/9/14
Kathleen sent me this professionally printed postcard with a quote from Cho Wen-Chun:
"Our love was pure as the snow on the mountains. White as a moon between the clouds."
I like that the design feels like it's one thing added on top of another, creating a montage of items.

Many thanks for the postcard!

Bahamas

(No date)
Phoenix sent me this postcard from her recent holiday in the Bahamas. She visited Ardrasta Garden and Zoo and was really impressed by the Flamingoes. Apparently she posed next to them and they thought she was a Flamingo and started "kissing" her hands and shoulder.

Thanks so much for the postcard.

Mexico

(No date)
Oscar sent me this postcard by the Mexican photographer Graciela Iturbide, who he get's inspiration from. Mexico is very hot during the summer, and despite the bad publicity it gets, it is a beautiful country and very diverse.

Many thanks for the postcard.

Collection of Bird Postcards

I have been calling myself a "birder" since December 2012, although I have always had an interest in our feathered friends. Why the sudden change from general naturalist to ornithologist? I started Bird Ringing and signed up with the British Trust for Ornithology as a Trainee. For those who don't know, bird ringing (or banding as it is called in some countries) is the process of catching birds and fixing a small metal ring to their legs, while taking biometric data such as wing length and weight before releasing it back where it came from. Each ring has a unique number which means that if that bird is caught again, or found by a member of the public and reported, we know where it has come from and how its condition has changed. This method of monitoring birds has answered so many questions about bird populations and migration, and is always being developed and used for new studies on birds around the world.

Being able to see and handle birds has greatly improved my identification skills, knowledge about migration, breeding and behaviour, and has led to many amazing experiences in the UK and abroad (see my Birding Blog)

Me and Carlos with a collection of Baby Blue Tits (Kvismaren 2014)

My first Bird of Prey - a female Sparrowhawk (Anglesey 2013)

Puffin Island Adventures (Anglesey 2013)

Baby Flycatcher (Öland 2014)

So when I started exchanging postcards, I thought I should have a collection of something, and opted for Birds. Since February 2014 I have been a regular on the Postcrossing forum looking for swaps, tags and round robins on the theme of birds, and 6 months later I have collected over 60 cards from 19 countries! Many thanks to everyone who has helped with my collection so far. Below I have them arranged by Country sets and will add more details when I have a little more time.
If anyone would like to help my collection grow, please contact me!

 The UK

 New Zealand

 China

 Belarus

 Russia

 Borneo

 Brazil

 Germany

 Finland

 USA

Taiwan

 Belgium

 Canada

 France

 Indonesia

 Japan

 Netherlands

 Sri Lanka

Sweden

Ireland

7/8/14
Brian responded to my plea for bird postcards and sent me these gorgeous postcards of Gannets and a Puffin. I have a soft spot for Puffins (as many of you will know!) and have been fortunate to work with them and other seabirds at a local breeding colony. Gannets are fascinating birds and I would love to work with these too in the future.

Thanks for the postcards Brian.

France

12/9/14
Ellie has one of my dream jobs! She is on a work placement with the local tourist information centre and gives guided tours around Bordeaux. Bordeaux means "waters edge" and the city was built on ancient streams and canals which over time have been blocked up. This is Place de la Bourse and Mirroir d'eau, which is a big paddling pool infront of the buildings, giving lovely reflections.

Thanks so much for the postcard, and I am jealous of your job!

*****

8/8/14
This beady eyed bird was sent to me by Anna as part of a Round Robin. Though she likes birds of prey, she doesn't know what species this is, but thinks it might live in the French Alps. I think it looks like a harrier, but will ask my birding friends and confirm this.

Thanks for the postcard.

Bermuda

13/8/14
Carol sent me this vibrant card showing some scenes from around Bermuda. I knew it was a tropical island paradise, but I didn't expect it to be so blue! The Coat of Arms on the flag says "Quo fata ferunt" which means "Whither the fates carry us", which I think is quite a nice motto to live by.

Thanks so much for my first Bermuda card.

Guatemala

25/6/14
I received this postcard from Jostin, a student from a school which encourages postcard exchange as a way of learning about the world. This is a great way for students to practice their English writing by sharing something about the country or themselves with the rest of the world. Tikal is one of the largest Mayan civilization archaeological sites, and has been a UNESCO WHS since 1979.

Thanks so much for the postcard, and all the best.

Cyprus

19/4/14
My friends Adrienne and Hamid recently got married and spent their Honeymoon in Cyprus. Adie sent me this postcard with 3 things that made her think of my while they were there...
1. She thinks I could name all the flowers that were blooming everywhere.
2. It is full of "small chirpy birds" and lies on the migration route for the Eastern Mediterranean. Apparently 375 species have been recorded and two are indigenous!
3. Apparently there are lots of yummy sounding "Childrens Cocktails" or "Drink and Drive Cocktails" (I don't drink alcohol).

I hope you brought back some mocktail recipes to try when I next visit, and maybe I will add Cyprus to my list of birding countries to visit in the future! Thanks for the postcard, and glad you had an awesome time, Mr and Mrs H!

United Arab Emirates

25/7/14
Kitoro sent me this lovely postcard from Dubai, which also shows one of the tall towers in this vibrant city. I like the style of this postcard, it feels old despite showing a modern building.

Thanks so much for the postcard.

*****

16/4/14
I have followed "Starring You" on Facebook almost since I started collecting postcards. This is my first postcard from them showing one of the tallest buildings in Dubai. Michael writes that it's a very special place with very rich and very poor people living there. He's heard some amazing stories but is now moving on to Malaysia.

Thanks so much for the postcard, and hope to receive a few more from your amazing travels!

Sierra Leone

9/4/14
I received this postcard in an envelope from Mustapha, who lives in Freetown. It was a lovely surprise to see so many bird stamps on the envelope, so I took a combined photo!

Thanks so much for the postcard!

Brazil

7/8/14
Aurelio sent me this postcard showing one of many beaches in the area of Brazil where she lives. I never consider beaches when I think of Brazil, so it was nice to see something that wasn't rainforest (even though I love that too!) It looks like there are beach buggy's with people gathering - maybe for surfing?

Thanks so much for the postcard!

*****

25/7/14
After a summer away, I reset my postcrossing profile to "active" and then had to go away for a week. When I returned, I had some lovely postcards waiting for me, including this one from Mayla. I had just been reading an article about these amazing birds, so it was very well timed to receive this postcard. The Arara Azul is a very rare parrot from South America, and is the main character in the film Rio (VERY good movie!)
Thanks so much for the postcard and the information!

*****

7/5/14
I received these two postcards from Deusimar, who agreed to swap with me following a post on Facebook. These parrots have such an amazing plumage, I can understand why they have been popular as pets. Unfortunately, this has led to a massive decline in numbers and they are now a focus of conservation efforts in the area. Thankfully, the Pantanal still has plenty of other birds, and it looks like an amazing place for wildlife watching- maybe one day I'll get there for a visit to see it all for myself!

Thanks so much for the postcards.

*****

 10/4/14
Two Brazilian Birds in one day! Of all the Brazilian birds, this is possible the most iconic - a Blue and Yellow Macaw, or the Arara Blue. Santiago is a student in engineering and sent me this postcard after my request for native birds.

Thanks so much for the postcard, and you are right, they are gorgeous animals.

*****

10/4/14
Silvia sent me a very different Brazilian Bird - this is a Canary, one of the most common species in Brazil. Unfortunately they are often caught and kept in cages as songbirds, which I believe is a problem worldwide.

Thanks so much for the postcard, and I hope you receive mine soon (we posted on the same day!)

Nepal

10/4/14
Krishna sent me this postcard showing the Bhaktapur Durbar Square, which looks like it has lots of interesting architecture. I especially like this lion statue, I wonder what he is guarding?

Thanks so much for the postcard, and I hope you had a great Birthday.

Netherlands

17/9/14
Cynni sent me this lovely Long Tailed Tit postcard, or as I call them, a Lotty! They are one of my favourite species, like little pinkish-grey pom-poms with really long tails!

Thanks so much for the card, and I hope you had a good day at the Zoo.

*****

 5/9/14
Gerda sent me this postcard showing traditional Dutch dress. The women's headpieces look crazy, especially if it is a windy day! Gerda lives with her husband and for their recent anniversary they went to a music concert.

Many thanks for the postcard, and I wish you happiness together.

*****

4/9/14
Cynni sent me this postcard of a White Stork. Last spring she watched a Stork webcam and saw the family raise three chicks.

Thanks for adding a new card to my bird collection.

*****

11/8/14
Wim sent me this lovely ID postcard showing Birds of the Woods. It's interesting that almost all of the species shown also occur in the UK, and I have had the pleasure of handling many of them. Wim says he likes spending time in the woods listening to the birds, and sometimes they will show themselves.

Thanks so much for the postcard.

*****

9/4/14
Heather posted on a facebook group asking for help decluttering. I gladly offered to help and received this lovely postcard showing Den Bosch. She mentioned the special food called a Bossche Bol, which I googled and OMG! A tennis ball sized profiterole, covered in chocolate! If I ever visit, I will most definitely be trying one! Apparently you can also take a boat trip under the city, which presumably is for people who haven't eaten too many Bossche Bol's!

Thanks so much for the postcard and for making me really want chocolate now!

Tanzania

7/4/14
Emmanuel sent me this aerial view of Mount Kilimanjaro, with lots of facts and figures on the back. It is one of three mountains near the equator that have snow all year round, it is 5895m above sea level is recognised by the UN as a World Natural Heritage site. Every year over 35,000 people climb to the top, which is a massive number!

Thanks so much for the postcard and the invite! If I ever end up in Tanzania I will definitely be in touch for a guided tour!

Vietnam

3/4/14
I received this lovely postcard from Ta Tan Dat. It shows Hoi An ancient town, which is a World Heritage Site. He tells me that the street food and the landscape are wonderful, and taught me some Vietnamese too!

Xin Chao Ta Tan, and thanks so much for the postcard! Definitely on my ever increasing list of places to visit!

Pakistan

2/4/14
Salman sent me these two postcards from Hunza. I have always been curious about Pakistan so was surprised to see the snow capped peaks and the lovely golden trees in the landscape photo. The Old Fort is 900 years old, and certainly looks like it has been well used over the centuries.

Thanks so much for the postcards and the insight into Pakistan. Maybe one day I will get there for a visit!