A RARE species of duck that visits England in the summer and migrates to Africa for the winter has attracted visitors to Sale Water Park during October.
Birdwatchers have travelled to the Broad Ees Dole Nature Reserve from all over Greater Manchester to see the garganey bird.
The garganey is a scarce and very secretive breeding duck in the UK.
It is smaller than a mallard and slightly bigger than a teal. The male is most easily recognised with a broad white stripe over the eye. In flight it shows a pale blue forewing.
Sale Water Park is a favourite site with birdwatchers and it’s not the first time a crowd has gathered to watch a rare species at the site.
The nature reserve is noted for several visits from Egrets – white herons that are generally associated with Europe, but are on the increase in England.
In 1989, Sale Water Park hosted the first ever Little Egret for Greater Manchester, and, at the time, was so rare in England that birdwatchers travelled from all over the country to see it on a May Bank Holiday.
In 2002, a Great White Egret, an all-white bird about a similar size to a Grey Heron, was seen at Sale Water Park.
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