Following on from the Millennium issue which featured two birds, we have a set of 4 stamps issued in recognition of "The Weather" the top two values of which portray birds.

The 45p shows stormy conditions and a small image of a tern which is difficult to identify with certainty. The long slender wings, short tail and very white appearance would initially suggest Sandwich Tern (Sterna sandvicensis), but the bill is red rather than black with a light tip. The red bill would suggest either Common or Arctic Tern (S. hirundo or S. paradisaea), but for me the white plumage is not right.

The 65p shows a simplistic Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) perched awkwardly on a thistle flower, perhaps searching in vain for seeds to eat. This species has appeared on an earlier British stamp, Christmas 1983, when it was in a group of 6 species.