Post bills: A stamp set depicting four species of wetland birds will be issued next month.

A stamp set depicting four species of wetland birds will be issued on October 4.

This is a joint stamp issue between HK Post and Sweden Post, and is the fourth joint stamp issue that Hong Kong has organised with other postal administrations.

The species are Pied Avocet, Horned Grebe, Black-throated Diver and Great Crested Grebe.

The four are representative of wetland birds as they show their specialised morphological adaptations to wetland environments.

All four are found in Sweden, and with the exception of the Black-throated Diver, they have been sighted in Hong Kong's Mai Po and Inner Deep Bay areas.

The stamps were designed by Arde Lam and engraved by Czeslaw Slania. This issue is printed in intaglio with lithography by Sweden Post Stamps.

Associated philatelic products of this issue include mint stamps, presentation packs, souvenir packs, serviced first day covers and a prestige stamp booklet.

For details on the sales restriction of these products click here.

The stamps will be displayed at the General, Tsim Sha Tsui, Tsuen Wan and Sha Tin Central Post Offices from September 13.

Official First Day Covers at $1 each will go on sale at all post offices on the same day. Advance orders for servicing self-provided souvenir covers will be accepted at all post offices from September 13 to 19.

Hand-back service will be provided at all post offices on October 4 for official and privately made covers bearing the first day of issue indication and a local address. A special postmark will also be introduced.

The GPO-1 postmark, the 'Philatelic Bureau' pictorial postmark and the philatelic office pictorial postmarks will also be available for hand-back service at all philatelic offices on that day.

All post offices (except mobile post offices) will open on October 4 from 9am to 1pm. The public hall of the HK Post Philatelic Bureau will also open from 9am to 1pm for date stamping covers with the pictorial postmark, the GPO-1 postmark as well as the special postmark.