#546 Singapore...Thanks Ng Tek Sin!

The 5c stamp on the cover is from 2007 Birds issue showing Crimson Sunbird,which is the national bird of Singapore.

The Crimson Sunbird (Aethopyga siparaja) is a sunbird belonging to a group of very small Old World passerine birds which feed largely on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. Flight is fast and direct on their short wings. Most species can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird, but usually perch to feed most of the time.

Crimson Sunbird is a resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from India to Indonesia and the Philippines. Two eggs or three eggs are laid in a suspended nest in a tree. This species is found in forest and cultivation.

Crimson Sunbirds are tiny, only 11cm long. They have medium-length thin down-curved bills and brush-tipped tubular tongues, both adaptations to their nectar feeding.

The adult male has a crimson breast and maroon back. The rump is yellow and the belly is olive. The female has an olive-green back, yellowish breast and white tips to the outer tail feathers.

#456 Singapore...Thanks Stephen!

#426 Singapore...Thanks Stephen!

The 1st Local stamp on the left is from 2008 Festivals issue featuring Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

One of two main festivals celebrated by the Muslims in Singapore,Hari Raya Aidilfitri is a joyous occasion marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. Signifying openness of mind and heart,it is customary on this day for Muslims to attend prayers in the mosque and to seek forgiveness from one another.Then,decked in their finest clothes,they'd visit family and friends for feasting and community bonding.

The 65c stamp on the right was issued in 2010 celebrating Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games held between 14 to 26 August 2010.

It was the inaugural Summer Youth Olympics, a major sports and cultural festival celebrated in the tradition of the Olympic Games. A total of 3,531 athletes between 14 and 18 years of age from 204 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) competed in 201 events in 26 sports.Singapore 2010 is not just about sports,competition and breaking records.It's about doing one's best;about participating as much as about winning; about forging friendships in spite of diversity;about respecting oneself and others,rules and regulations and the environment.

The stamp highlights the mascots of the Games:Lyo and Merly, a fire-themed lion and a water-themed female merlion respectively.

#349 Singapore...Thanks Terence!

This year,to emphasize that Singapore is a bustling metropolis nestled in a lush mantle of tropical greenery,two flowering plants - the Simpoh Air and Singapore Rhododendron are featured in this Fauna & Flora definitive series.

The distinctive Simpoh Air (Dillenia suffruticosa) grows vigorously on eroded soil,wasteland,forest edges and swampy areas.Simpoh Air has large leaves and large yellow flowers.The flowers usually last for only a day.The thin layer of red flesh surrounding the seeds is irresistible to birds,that quickly disperse the seeds.

The Singapore Rhododendron (Melastoma malabathricum) is a common plant in Singapore.It has beautiful flowers with five petals in dark purple to pinkish that last only one day.The flowers open after sunrise and close the same day.Fruits are favourites among birds that assist in dispersing the seeds.The plant is the host for caterpillars of butterflies such as the Common Sailor (Neptis hylas) and the Grey Count (Tanaecia lepidea).

#323 Singapore...Thanks Terence!

The 4 stamps with first day postmarks are from 2010 Know 10 Trees issue aiming to raise public's awareness of Singapore's most common roadside trees.

The trees on the stamps are (from left to right):Rain Tree,Tembusu,Sea Apple and Trumpet Tree.

Rain Tree (Samanea saman) is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is native to the Neotropics. Its range extends from Mexico south to Peru and Brazil, but it has been widely introduced to South and Southeast Asia, as well as the Pacific Islands, including Hawaii.

The Tembusu (Fagraea fragrans) is a large evergreen tree native to South-east Asia. Its trunk is dark brown, with deeply fissured bark, looking somewhat like a bittergourd. It grows in an irregular shape from 10 to 25m high [1]. Its leaves are light green and oval in shape. Its yellowish flowers have a distinct fragrance and the fruits of the tree are bitter tasting red berries, which are eaten by birds and fruit bats.

Sea Apple(Syzygium grande) is a flowering plant that belongs to the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. The genus comprises about 1100 species, and has a native range that extends from Africa and Madagascar through southern Asia east through the Pacific. Its highest levels of diversity occur from Malaysia to northeastern Australia, where many species are very poorly known and many more have not been described taxonomically.

Trumpet Tree (Tabebuia rosea) is one of 100 species in the tribe Tecomeae of the family Bignoniaceae. The species range from northern Mexico and southern Florida south to northern Argentina.

#233 Singapore...Thanks Terence!

These three stamps are from 2010 Playgrounds issue illustrating common places for playgrounds in Singapore.

Children develope their social skills,physical coordination,strength and flexibility through play.Research shows that playgrounds are among the most important environmentsmo for children's recreational moments outside their homes.

#167 Singapore...Thanks Emily!

The 65c stamp is from 2009 Local Delights issue showing Laksa,which is a popular spicy noodle soup in Malaysia and Singapore, and to a lesser extent Indonesia.

It is a merger of Chinese and Malay elements.The term "laksa" is used generally to describe two different basic types of noodle soup dishes: curry laksa and asam laksa. Curry laksa is a coconut curry soup with noodles, while asam laksa is a sour fish soup with noodles. Usually, thick rice noodles also known as laksa noodles are preferred, although thin rice vermicelli (bee hoon or mee hoon) is also common and some variants use other types.