Date of Issue – 17 March 2011
Iceland post is releasing a beautiful lighthouse set of two stamps today on “Langanes lighthouse”.
A lighthouse was established for the first time at Fontur in Langanes in 1910. This lighthouse was of the same type as those established the year before in Reykjanes and Öndverðarnes. In 1914 a 3m high iron-frame was erected and equipped with the lantern of the earlier lighthouse. A new lightouse was built in Langanes in 1950. The lantern and gallery are of Swedish make, 3,5m high with a concrete foundation and a copper roof.
The Langanes lighthouse is a concrete 6m high conical tower on a low foundation. Stokksnes lighthouse. At Stokksnes by Vestrahorn a 15m high iron-frame was erected in 1922 with a 3,5m high lantern. In 1946 a new lighthouse was built of concrete at Stokksnes. In 1958 a new lantern was installed along with concrete walls and a copper roof. A year later the lighthouse was powered by electricity for the first time, gas being used as an extra. The Stokksnes lighthouse is a triangular, conical 16m high tower. It was coated with light quartz and got a grey caulker finish in 1988. All lighthouses in Iceland are owned and operated by the Icelandic Maritime Administration.
Bird of the Year - Eurasian Curlew
On March 14, 2011 Belarus issued a new stamp in its "Bird of the year" series featuring Eurasian Curlew.
There are logos of the International organization of birds protection "BirdLife International" and Belarus public organization "Ahova ptushak Batskaushchyny" (APB) on the stamps.
The Eurasian Curlew, Numenius arquata, is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae. It is the one of the most widespread of the curlews, breeding across temperate Europe and Asia. The largest wader in its range, at 50-57 cm length, and a 1 m wingspan. It is mainly grayish brown, with a white back, and a very long curved bill. Males and females look identical, but the bill is longest in the adult female. The familiar call, from which this bird gets its name, is a loud curloo-oo.
