TWITCHERS from all over Britain flocked to the Forest of Dean at the weekend after a report of a very rare 'little brown job'.
In the highly competitive world of bird watching the sight of a Little Bunting is guaranteed to send a flutter through the hen house.
"It is the first ever report of a Little Bunting in Gloucestershire. It is a bird of the northern tundra, north Finland and north Russia," explained the Review's wildlife expert Ivan Proctor.
"It was spotted by Barry Embling of Forest Enterprise in a flock of Reed Buntings at Tidenham on Thursday. He notified the 'Birdline' – a special number checked out by twitchers – and by Saturday visitors were pouring in," said Ivan.
"It is a small and inconspicuous bird about the size of a linnet and never before reported in Gloucestershire. In bird-watching circles it is known as 'a little brown job' but it caused quite a stir and enthusiasts from as far away as Essex were here trying to track it down," he said.