V5403

Coastal Birds

Roseate Spoonbill

Cover Announcement 

This individually hand painted cachet shows an immature roseate spoonbill in the Ding Darling Natural Wildlife Refuge along the Gulf Coast in Florida. These adolescent birds have paler pink plumage than adults, white feathered heads and necks, and a yellowish-salmon bill which will turn to gray as adults. The watercolor wildlife art is lovely with the pink reflection of the spoonbill adding a wonderful visual contrast to the bright blue coastal water of the Gulf of Mexico.

This splendid, colorful roseate spoonbill is a wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family. It feeds on crustaceans, aquatic insects, and very small fish. Like the flamingo, their pink color is diet-derived. They compete for food with egrets, herons, and pelicans. This Collins and the other three in the set are really beautiful First Day Covers that in the future will be sought by wildlife and bird topicalists as well as future Collins collectors. Be sure to acquire all four before I sell out.

The Audubon artistic style of the new stamps is refreshingly different and pleasing, and there are two on each cover. Both are tied to the envelope with a bullseye first day of issue postmark. The cachets, each and every one painted entirely by hand, are great natural renditions of these interesting and colorful coastal birds.

The fourth and final one of this lovely set is now ready. Roseate Spoonbill - Collins #V5403 - $15.00.