2018-08-29 Wed

Liechtenstein is going to release a set of three stamps named Artistic Photography: Birds Eyes on 3rd September. The stamps depict close-up photos of eyes of a grey heron, great crested grebe and cormorant. These three birds are native to this region and are found near water bodies. The pictures are taken by Sven Beham.

The 1-franc stamp features a yellow eye of the heron; the 1.30fr stamp depicts the red eye of the grebe while the 1.50fr shows a cormorant’s blue eye. The stamps are designed by Hans Peter Gassner and Beham while Cartor Security Printing printed them by a combination of offset and embossing in sheets of 16.

The grey heron has long legs and hunts aquatic creatures by standing still in the water or stalking its prey through the shallow waters. The Great Crested Grebe has legs closer to their backs and is known for their interesting mating process. They use their great swimming and diving abilities to hunt fish underwater. The cormorant has dark feathers and a long, thin and hooked bill. Their feet are webbed and they are great divers. By using their feet and wings, some cormorant species can dive up to 45 metres underwater to catch their prey.

Image courtesy: Liechtenstein Post