A & B

I didn't get myself organized in time to post my A for Avian stamps, so here are two editions - one for Avian and one for Birds... 

I really, really like this new three year series, though am disappointed that the actual stamp cuts out so much of the bird's features. It would have been nice if the souvenir sheets had the extras perforated as well so you had the option of including them.

This was last year's (2016) issue of Birds of Canada which feature such birds that I have never seen as the Sharp Tailed Grouse that live in Saskatchewan, the Great Horned Owl from Alberta, the Puffin who live off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, a Rock Ptarmigan from Nunavut, and a Common Raven - one I have seen, though not in Yukon where this is the provincial bird.

Except for the Great Horned Owl, all of these birds were in contention for the National Bird Project and all of them lost out to the Gray Jay (also known as Whiskey Jack).

This was only a recommendation by the Canadian Geographic Society. We still don't have an official bird of Canada.

and for this year's avian friends, there is a Blue Jay, so it's not likely the Gray Jay will make the cut for next year's party* (then again, the gray jay does inhabit much of British Columbia which hasn't been represented yet...)

Again, in a clockwise flight from upper left: the Blue Jay, this one from Prince Edward Island, a Gyrfalcon from the Northwest Territories, an Osprey in Nova Scotia, a Common Loon from Ontario, and finally, a Great Grey Owl representing Manitoba.

* party is the collective nouns for jay

and there is a party for B listers over at See it on a Postcard