A woman couldn't believe her eyes this morning when a 'penguin' appeared outside her Stockport home.
Tracey Donnelly thought she was imagining things when she cast her eyes upon the beaky intruder on Tuesday morning.
A blanket of snow had turned her Hazel Grove garden into a winter wonderland - and the feathered visitor completed the magical scene.
The 56-year-old said: "I just woke up. I spotted it. I started looking at it for ages.
"It stood still for five or ten minutes. At one point I thought it's like a piece of wood.
"My daughter said 'it's beautiful out there'. I said 'I have a penguin'. She thought I was joking.
"Then I sent her a photo - she said 'oh my god'."
Tracey went to make a cup of tea, then set a plan in motion to go out for a closer inspection.
But by the time she set foot in the garden with her wellies on, the visitor had 'vanished'.
The events manager posted a photo on Facebook asking if anyone recognised the species.
Most people replied that it was probably a heron - a long-legged freshwater and coastal bird.
"But I refuse to believe them," she joked.
"Everybody needs cheering up. I said 'it's my new Happy Feet land'.
"I obviously know it wasn't a penguin. But I thought 'my god it looks like one'. I've seen a magic penguin.
"It's given everyone a laugh. Everybody in Stockport look out for it, it could come to you next."
