World Wetlands Day 2016

From left to right :

Rs.7 : Fulvous Whistling-duck (草黃樹鴨) ; Rs.50 : Caspian Tern (紅咀巨鷗)
Rs.35 : Indian Spot-bill Duck (印度花嘴鴨) ; Rs.10 : Greater Flamingo (大紅鶴)

Sri Lanka (2016)
26th March, 2016. Colombo

Wetlands arereferred to as habitats with permanent or temporary accumulation of water with associated floral and faunal communities. Sri Lanka has a geography which supports the formation of wetlands to a great extent. Due to diverse geographical settings, wetlands of different areas display different characteristics. There are 3 broad categories of wetlands found in the country namely:

• Inland natural fresh water wetlands
• Marine and saltwater wetlands
• Man-made wetlands

The interaction between soil, water, plants and animals in the wetlands enable many functions which are useful to people as well as the entire eco-system. Sri Lanka is a mesmerizing destination for bird watching. However, the wetlands in the country beside the others are among the best places to observe Sri Lanka’s avifauna.

Sri Lanka returned cover

On 2003, Sri Lanka issued a sheet of Resident Birds of Sri Lanka, it features 25 pretty birds from bulbul to hornbill, it as well as a bird cyclopaedia. Most of birds are endemic to Sri Lanka or its nearby country India, and some of them are first time appear on stamps Thanks to Dharshana, I got first ten mint stamps on 2007 and arranged a Black-necked Stork (黑頸鸛) maxicard afterwards, however he never send it back to me until now. I felt very upset and disappointed to him.

FrontFrom left to bottom :
Scarlet Minivet (赤紅山椒鳥) ; Blue-faced Malkoha (小綠咀地鵑)
Sri Lanka Scimitar Babbler (霍氏鈎嘴鶥) ; Painted Partridge (花彩鷓鴣)
Red-backed Woodpecker (小金背啄木鳥) ; Malabar Pied Hornbill (冠斑犀鳥)
Jungle Owlet (林鵂鶹) ; Rufous-bellied Eagle (棕腹隼鵰)
White-rumped Shama (白腰鵲鴝)
Sri Lanka (2003)
8th February, 2010. Kandana*
20th February, 2010. Hongkong
8th March, 2010. Nawalapitya*

Nevertheless, after four years, thanks to my Sri Lanka friend George who works in Maldives, he sent me a beautiful cover features 9 from this sheet when he came back to his country. Unfortunately he wrote incorrect address on the envelope and it only could be bounce back to Sri Lanka. Above scan picture shown the cover which he sent me again in another envelope. The envelope with two cachets 'RETURN / RETOUR' (CN15) and 'STA30' (number of delivery beat of Hongkong), all of them postmarked by Shatin Central delivery office, also the office postmarked a machine date-stamp on the back side of envelope. Very sorry I don't know Sinhala, so I misunderstand the postmarks of Sri Lanka which appear on both sides.

Back