1263. Commonwealth National Birds.

   I do not usually take much interest in the annual omnibus of the numerous European territories released under the popular term Europa. Many of the issues are very dull though some of the Bridge-themed stamps issued this year have been vaguely interesting. However the theme for next year sounds very promising - 'National birds' - and collectors should end up with a large collection of interesting and attractive stamps depicting a popular theme.

  So, I thought why not put together a Commonwealth 'National bird'-themed collection ahead of the European omnibus? Not all countries and territories have official national birds and that is why a number of Commonwealth countries do not appear on the list below. All countries apart, I think, from Kenya have depicted their national bird on at least one of their postage stamps.

Anguilla - Zenaida dove.

Antigua And Barbuda - Magnificent frigatebird.

Australia - Emu.

Bahamas - American flamingo.

Bangladesh - Oriental magpie robin.

Belize - Keel-billed toucan.

Bermuda - Bermuda petrel.

Botswana - Kori bustard.

British Virgin Islands - Mourning dove.

Canada - Grey Jay.

Cayman Islands - Grand Cayman parrot.

Dominica - Imperial amazon parrot.

Gibraltar - Barbary partridge.

Grenada - Grenada dove.

Guyana - Hoatzin.

India - Indian peacock.

Jamaica - Doctor bird

Kenya - Lilac breasted roller.

Malta - Blue rock thrush.

Montserrat - Montserrat oriole.

Namibia - African fish eagle.

New Zealand - Kiwi

Nigeria - Black crowned crane.

Pakistan - Chukar partridge.

Papua New Guinea - Raggiana bird of paradise.

St Helena - St Helena plover.

St Kitts And Nevis - Brown pelican.

St Vincent And The Grenadines - St Vincent parrot.

Scotland - Golden eagle (unofficial).

Singapore - Crimson Sunbird

South Africa - Blue Crane.

Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka Junglefowl.

Swaziland - Purple-crested turaco

Trinidad And Tobago - Scarlet Ibis and Cocrico

Uganda - East African Crowned Crane

United Kingdom - European Robin

Wales - Red kite (unofficial)

Zambia - African Fish Eagle

Zimbabwe - African Fish Eagle

1261. 🇸🇭🇬🇸🇫🇰🇧🇸 Pobjoy Stamps/Creative Direction Royal Wedding Omnibus.

  Pobjoy Stamps has revealed the designs of more of its Royal Wedding mini-omnibus stamps the production of which was co-ordinated by Creative Direction. The stamps were designed by Bee Design and lithographed by Cartor and perforated 13.5. All of the photographs are from Getty Images.

  The excellence of these stamps shows that if a postal administration or philatelic agency is determined to release royal omnibus stamps then it is possible to produce high quality items. Rating:- *****.

  See also Blog 1258.

  Many thanks to Juliet Warner of Pobjoy Stamps for supplying the above information.

  The dates of issue are 14 August 2018 (Ascension, Falkland Islands and South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands), 15 August 2018 (Bahamas) and 20 August 2018 (Tristan Da Cunha).

 🇸🇭 Tristan Da Cunha.

 🇧🇸 Bahamas.

 🇬🇸 South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands.

  🇫🇰 Falkland Islands. 

  🇸🇭 Ascension Island.

  🇲🇺 Mauritius Post issued a single stamp in July 2018 on the subject of Scenery of Mauritius and featuring Chamarel Coloured Earth. This is a colourful and interesting stamp of local relevance. Rating:- ****.

  🇬🇬 Guernsey Stamps 'tweeted' on 13 July 2018 that its Post and Go kiosk GG03 situated in the Guernsey Information Centre in St Peter Port was dispensing on that date a strip of the Guernsey Flowers stamps with additional inscriptions applied to commemorate the visit of the cruise ship Royal Princess to Guernsey.

1260. 🇵🇰 Pakistan Post Issues 20 Stamps Depicting 'Atrocities' In Kashmir.

  🇵🇰 In Blogs 1076 and 1077 I presented details of the most shocking stamp issue ever. The issue was a single large sheet containing 71 different stamps and it was accompanied by 18 miniature sheets which included in them all the stamps from the large sheet.The issue was released by Bangladesh Post and titled 'War Crimes In Bangladesh By Pakistan Army And Their Collaborators 1971'. The extremely disturbing images printed on the stamps - including the corpse of a child being eaten by dogs - were portrayed in stark black and white. Very rarely are stamps used to shock to quite such an extent as that Bangladesh set but there is no doubt that the issue was highly effective in promoting the country's grievances against the alleged crimes of the Pakistan Army in 1971.

  As if in response now, Pakistan Post issued a sheet of 20 different stamps on 13 July 2018 to publicise 'Kashmir Martyr's Day' and 'Atrocities In Indian Occupied Kashmir'. India and Pakistan are engaged in a very longstanding dispute about the territory of Kashmir and India supported Bangladesh in its war with Pakistan. The enmity between India and Pakistan is old and deep.

  This issue from Pakistan Post, like the issue of Bangladesh includes some disturbing subjects and images but probably has less impact because the stamps are printed in colour rather than stark black and white. One can not also help having an impression of tit-for-tat about the release of these stamps.

Each stamp has its own subject:- Use of chemical weapons, Use of pellet guns, Mass graves, Braid chopping, Half widows (2 stamps), 'Over 100,000 Kashmiris Martyred', Homeless children, 'Children abuse', 'Human shield', Burhan Wani (1994-2016) Freedom Icon, Freedom struggle, Fake encounters, 'Women harassment', 'Bleeding Kashmir', 'Brutality', Freedom prayer, Missing persons, Protest against killers and Tortured Women.

  Collectors are therefore faced with another stamp issue reflecting the cruelty of mankind to others of its own species presented in a graphic way but perhaps mostly not as horrifically as the Bangladesh issue of 2017. The issue emphasises that one of the roles of postage stamps is as promoters of national causes or national propaganda and underlines why stamp issue release is a serious matter and should not descend to the depths of the recently produced salacious items from the notorious philatelic agency, Stamperija, which were issued in the name of the Sierra Leone postal service on the subject of the 20th anniversary of former US President Clinton's alleged sexual misconduct with Monica Lewinsky (see Blog 1257).

  Rating:- *****.