EAGLES) Issued 10Th October 1984

BIRDS OF PREY (EAGLES) Issued 10th October 1984

AFTER nearly a year of hard work by a score of people, the PTC issued a set of stamps under the theme of “Birds of Prey”, with six magnificent eagles.

(Extract from magazine “Africa Calls from Zimbabwe”, September – October 1894)3

The original artwork for the stamps is a series of magnificently detailed paintings executed by Mr Bob Finch, a local artist of exceptional talent and a partner in one of Harare's advertising agencies. Mr Finch specialises in painting birds, principally African birds. In 1977, a number of his paintings of small songbirds were also made into stamps.

While those stamps entailed the skilful adaptation of already existing works, the birds of prey series was created from specifically commissioned paintings. Thus there is a high level of conformity about all six stamps. All the birds, for example, face the same way, and they are all about the same size although no attempt was made to retain their natural proportions in relation to one another.

Of paramount importance to the artist was that each bird fill as much as possible of its frame, and that it completely dominates the stamp. To achieve this, each stamp's denomination, or postage value, is set in the top right-hand corner, while the name Zimbabwe, reversed out of the background, runs vertically down the right-hand side. The Shona and Ndebele names of each bird are in the right and left margins and the English and scientific names appear in the bottom margin.

Mr Finch's remarkably exact paintings were executed in transparent water-colours, the precise hues being painstakingly built up layer upon layer. The high-grade paper he used is specially treated for watercolours, and its lustrous white surface imparts a luminosity to the colours and a brilliance to the highlights.

Bob Finch at work

~ 1 ~

The choice of which birds to include in the series was left to the artist. Although his selection is largely arbitrary, at least one bird, the fish eagle, was certain to be included because of its intimate identification with the country.

Apart from the six paintings, Mr Finch produced a pencil drawing of an osprey with a tigerfish in its claws for the cover of the first-day-of-issue collectors' envelope.

(Extracts from PTC Bulletin No 4 of 1984)2

9c — FISH EAGLE Haliaeetus vocifer

The call of the Fish Eagle is one of the characteristic sounds of Africa, portraying the wide wilderness of lake or river country. Descending in a rapid stoop, the Fish Eagle will take free-swimming fish from the water, even going right under the water on occasions but usually checking at the surface. The nest consists of a huge stick structure placed high in a large tree. Nesting in Zimbabwe takes place between October and January when two white, roughish eggs are laid.

~ 2 ~

This is a bird of Africa's forests, providing that the area is reasonably well-watered. The Long Crested Eagle spends a considerable part of its day perched at the top of dead trees, being more active in the early morning and evening, when it will become noisy while soaring. The diet consists of rats and mice, plus frogs, lizards, snakes and small birds. Quite often it uses old nests of other species, laying one or two blotched and streaked eggs.

11c — LONG CRESTED EAGLE Lophaetus occipitalis

13c — BATELEUR Terathopius ecaudatus

This very striking bird is so named because of its characteristic rocking from side to side while in flight, resembling a tight-rope walker or balancer. The tail is so short that, in flight, it often seems to be tail-less. The Bateleur nests quite high up, sometimes building its own stick structure but often using old nests of other species. Reptiles, snakes and small mammals represent the live food taken but this bird will also devour carrion. Its unusual call is a variety of short, sharp barks, rather like a dog.

The Black Eagle is a magnificent and powerful bird. It is found in mountain or hill country, particularly where sheer rock cliffs are present. The nest is placed on a rock ledge, inaccessible to all but rock climbers, and is made of quite large branches and sticks. The usual clutch is two eggs but only one chick will survive, the stronger killing the weaker. Its diet is mainly Hyraxes but has been known to kill ground birds, small antelopes and baboons.

17c— BLACK EAGLE Aquila verreauxi

~ 3 ~

21c — MARTIAL EAGLE Found in open mountain country, the Martial Polemaetus bellicosus Eagle hunts by flying at a great height, searching the ground below. At times it will hover in the manner of a Kestral or Kite. The nest, built in the top of a high tree, is constructed of sticks and is added to year after year, eventually becoming enormous. Only one egg is laid, this being white with a fine speckling of brown and grey. Food consists of Hyraxes, squirrels, ground birds, rodents and snakes.

Here is a bold and dashing bird, unfortunately usually out of favour because of its raids on poultry. Flying swiftly through the trees, it will surprise its prey and often pursue and kill it on the ground. Game, birds, rodents and reptiles form the main diet. The nest is placed rather high and breeding takes place during the winter months, from June onward. Usually only one egg is laid, occasionally two, dirty white with blotchings of chestnut and grey.

30c — AFRICAN HAWK EAGLE Hieraaetus spilogaster

~ 4 ~

The Stamps

Catalogue listings

SG ZSC1 Value Description

647 71 9c African Fish Eagle a. Red Knothole (batch flaw) 648 72 11c Long Crested Eagle 649 73 13c Bateleur 650 74 17c Black Eagle 651 75 21c Martial Eagle 652 76 30c African Hawk Eagle

Technical details Stamp size: All values 28 x 42 mm

Sheet Size: 50 stamps (5 rows of 10 stamps), two panes per printed sheet

Artist: Bob Finch

Paper: ZSC paper type B – HS6, florescent coated paper with PVA gum with a blueish/greenish tinge.

Print colours: 13c Black, red, stone, cyan others Black, magenta, cyan, yellow

~ 5 ~

Perforations: SG 14½, ZSC 14¼ Left margin: Perforated through. Other margins: Imperforate

Printer: Mardon Printers (Pvt) Ltd., Harare, Zimbabwe

Printer’s Imprint: Bottom Margin, below Row 5 Columns 4 to 7. Imprint printed in black

Cylinder numbers: Bottom margin below column 1. Colours reading from left 13c black, red, stone, cyan others black, magenta, yellow, cyan

Colour register: Type TL 4– round boxed – left margin opposite R5/1. Colours reading down 13c cyan, stone, red, black Others cyan, yellow, magenta, black

Sheet Value: Bottom margin, below R5/10, printed in black.

Sheet Number: Type SN 4a with ‘PTC’ prefix, opposite R5/10, reading down.

Print numbers: 9c 1,000,000 11c 750,000 13c 750,000 17c 750,000 21c 750,000 30c 750,000

Issue date: 10th October, 1984

Withdrawal from sale:

Demonetarisation: 31st January, 1994

Listed varieties

ZSC 71a

Red knothole (batch flaw)

~ 6 ~

Unlisted varieties

There are numerous small dots and specks in the printing of these stamps, particularly in the backgrounds. Some dots and specks shown below are a bit more distinctive, some may be constant.

9c: Various pinkish blobs and dots are be found, probably none are constant. Probable cause - water on printing plates

9c: White line above ‘c’ of 9c: Reddish area on left value wing feathers, probably due to water on plate

11c: Various blue spots and dots found, probably none are constant. Probable cause – water on printing plates

~ 7 ~

13c: Orange curl above 17c: Area of green printing 13c: area left of bird without bird’s head on eagle’s back. Probably ink, not constant. R4/10 due to water on plate.

21c: Green blob ight of 21c: Red markings above 21c: Red flash on eagle’s eagle’s head, with red dot. eagle’s head wing (may be constant)

21c: Red marking top margin, right of bird’s head, 21c: Red marking top right 21c: Red dot next to second plus red dor left of head. corner ‘b’ of Zimbabwe

30c: Black dots left an dright 30c: Black line left of ‘m’ of Zimbabwe 30c: Blue marking to eagle’s of value back

~ 8 ~

30c: Blue marking left of 30c: Yellow spot between value value and bird

First Day Covers

The cover numbering comes from the catalogue produced by Geoff Brakspear.

A pictorial first day of issue canceller was produced for this issued and was used by the Philatelic Bureau. Other first day cover cancellers continued to be used at main post offices.

ZW017-1 (PTC) ZW017-2.1

Fleetwood, USA, for National Audubon Society 190 x 100 mm 228 x 160 mm ZW017-2-2

Fleetwood, USA, for National Audubon Society 190 x 100 mm

~ 9 ~

Related Material

First Day Cover signed by the artist, Bob Finch

Postcards

Set of numbered cards of all the eagles depicted with appropriate stamp. All courtesy of Narendhra Morar.

~ 10 ~

Postcard of Martial Eagle, produced by T R Blackmore & Co., Bulawayo

(Courtesy Narendhra Morar)

Bibliography:

1. “The Zimbabwean Concise Postage Stamp Catalogue”, published by Harare Stamp Company, edited by Ken Allanson, Mike Amos and Geoff Brakspear. The catalogue continues to be updated and expanded by Geoff Brakspear 2. PTC Philatelic Bureau Bulletin No 4 of 1984. 3. “Birds of Prey – Original paintings – Colourful Stamps”, by Jeremy Howard in September-October edition of “Africa Calls from Zimbabwe”, No 147, pages 18 to 21

~ 11 ~