 Publicity
image (above).
|
Puffin
Gannet Oystercatcher Ringed Plover Cormorant Arctic Tern |
The fourth set of Faststamps depicting birds will be issued on 16 September, one of three sets to be issued this year. As before, these will be sold from Post & Go machines at selected Post Offices across the UK and from the Philatelic Bureau at Tallents House. The third set depicts the seabirds that can be found around Britain’s coasts.
Post & Go terminals allow customers to weigh their letters and packets, pay for and print postage labels and stamps without the need to visit the counter. The first Post & Go machine was trialled in The Galleries Post Office® in Bristol in 2007.|
Publicity
image (above).
|
Puffin
Gannet Oystercatcher Ringed Plover Cormorant Arctic Tern |
Puffin
Fratercula
arctica
The portly little 26–29cm puffin looks comical and clown-like
waddling in and out of its island breeding burrow, but underwater it is
a skilled diver, seizing rows of small fish in its huge gaudy bill
Gannet
Morus
bassanus
With wings spanning almost 2m, 85–97cm long gannets make
dramatic dives from the air to seize shoaling fish, their dazzling
white bodies arrowing down and hitting the water with resounding
splashes.
Oystercatcher
Haematopus
ostralegus
This stocky 40–45cm wader rarely takes oysters but eats
mussels and cockles. If they are open, it forces its big orange-red
bill into the gap between the shell halves; if closed, it smashes its
way in.
Ringed
Plover Charadrius
hiaticula
With a body shorter than a starling’s, at just
18–20cm, this little wader has a clockwork-like
look-run-stop-run action as it finds food at the surface of sand or mud
by sight, rather than probing.
Cormorant
Phalacrocorax
carbo
This big (80–100cm), black, prehistoric-looking seabird often
perches on a rock or post, holding out its wings to dry the plumage. It
is increasingly common on lakes and rivers far from the sea.
Arctic
Tern Sterna
paradisaea
Streamlined and elegant, this beautiful 33–35cm fork-tailed
relative of the gulls spots fish while hovering, then often dips down
and hovers again to pinpoint its prey before plunging into the water.
Products
issued
The labels will be used in Post
& Go machines at Post
Offices around the country.
A mint set will also be
available from Royal Mail's Tallents House Bureau in a pack
on an
attractive card with details about each of the birds featured together
with an illustration of their eggs. All values in the pack are 1st
Class with a
philatelic branch code of 002011. Design is by The Chase with
illustration by Peter Horridge.
Although Post & Go
machines are a Post Office Ltd product, Royal Mail will again produce a
First Day Cover and official First Day Postmarks for these.
Special
Postmarks
Postmarks available for the day of issue will be shown here
 |
|
 |
 |
|
| Ref FD1135 Philatelic Bureau Official Postmark illustrated with a map of the British Isles |
Ref FD1136 Bristol official postmark illustrated with a bird's egg |
Ref FD1136NP Bristol official non-pictorial postmark. |
Ref L12256 Folkestone, Kent |
Ref M12270 Beach Close, Birmingham |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Ref S7667 Britain's Most
Northerly Post Office, Baltasound,
Unst, Shetland (Permanent postmark, rolling date.) |
Ref S12272 1986-2011 World Heritage Site, St Kilda, Outer Hebrides | Ref L12261 Autumn Stampex Post & Go Birds of Britain IV First Day of Issue, London N1 | Ref L12288 Birds of Britain, Seahouses | Ref L12290 Birds of Britain, Marloes, Haverfordwest |
This page created 5 September 2011
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