A mild winter means that spring has already sprung for some of our wildlife, but could this eagerness to jump the seasonal gun lead to disaster? Liam Creedon reports

YES, we’ve been buffeted by winds and soaked by torrential rain, but the frost, ice and snow that left us shivering in recent winters is yet to materialise.

The warmest December for quarter of a century has been followed by a mild January. And it seems this warm, wet spell has deceived some of our wildlife into believing spring has already sprung.

A quick glance at your nearest park, garden or field edge may trick you into thinking we are already in March rather than the deep midwinter.

The widespread sight of pale green daffodil stems thrusting up bamboo-like through the claggy earth is an unexpected early treat.

But it’s not only the daffodils that have appeared early. The Woodland Trust’s Nature’s Calendar records the first signs of the changing of the seasons – and so far this winter they have been inundated with unusually early sightings of spring.

Snowdrops, which typically appear at the end of January, were seen at more than 30 locations from Kent to Anglesey in the first fortnight of the month. Hazel has also been reported flowering from Devon to Lincolnshire and elder has been seen bursting into bud across the UK.

Ladybirds, which normally appear in mid- March, have been seen in Crewe; while brimstone, red admiral, small tortoiseshell, peacock, comma and speckled wood sightings have all been reported to Butterfly Conservation.

According to the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) about ten swallows have been reported in Southern England since December 1, with several still being seen well into January, suggesting that these birds, which normally spend the colder months in Africa, have attempted to over-winter in the UK.

Other summer migrants also appear to have had the same idea – a willow warbler remaining in West Sussex, a whitethroat on Teesside and a lesser whitethroat in Nottinghamshire. A wheatear, typically one of the earliest migrants to return to the UK, has been spotted in Cheshire, but the BTO believes this bird may also have decided to see out the winter rather than migrate south.

All these unusual sightings might be causing a stir now, but experts believe we should no longer be surprised by them.

The Northern Echo:
A brown frog with frogspawn

Chris Hickman, of the Woodland Trust, says: “Generally, as the climate warms it seems that temperatures in December and January are more amenable for the earlier development of plants and animals. December was the mildest in 25 years according to the Met Office.

“What is unusual is that ‘early’ signs of spring in January are no longer unusual. So, although we have records of everything from red admiral butterflies to ladybirds and wasps, our data has actually highlighted it is becoming more and more common over the past decade.

“This reflects a trend for spring as a season to arrive earlier and earlier. Over the past 25 years, flowers have bloomed up to 12 days earlier than previously.’’ HOWEVER common it is becoming though, these early risers may still be in for a short, sharp shock.

“The dangers of emerging early are two-fold,”

explains Hickman. “One would be a lack of food sources along the food chain for those creatures which come out of hibernation or have young earlier. The second is the risk of a prolonged spell of freezing weather later into spring, as happened last year – which could be a threat to life.’’ Nature’s Calendar project manager, Dr Kate Lewthwaite, adds: ‘’What this highlights is the importance of having diverse, inter-connected habitats which allow species to react to any changes in climate and adjust accordingly. With habitats coming under ever greater threat and fragmentation, the pressure on our native flora and fauna will only increase.”

Durham University botanist Phil Gates, who is The Northern Echo’s Country Diary columnist, believes we are witnessing a delayed winter rather than an early spring.

He adds: “The evidence is there to see in gardens, with some of last summer’s flowers, such as marigolds, still in bloom. We haven’t had any severe cold spells yet – and maybe we’ll be lucky and avoid them altogether. Ponds have only frozen over briefly and there’s plenty of active pond life in them. If the mild spell continues, we may see early frog spawning.

“The ground hasn’t frozen hard yet either, which is particularly good news for birds such as lapwings that feed on insect larvae and earthworms – prolonged freezing spells in the past two winters have made life particularly difficult for them.

“Last autumn’s bumper crop of berries in the hedgerows has also helped birds such as redwing and fieldfares – last year their berry food supplies ran out before Christmas, but even now there are still hawthorn berries in the hedgerows. In general, with plenty of food about, birds should be entering the breeding season in good condition.”

The Northern Echo:
An elder twig with budburst – as February takes on a spring-like appearance

Dr Gates said it was lovely to see the hazel catkins in bloom and some plants bursting into leaf.

But he adds a word of caution: “If we do get a severe cold spell between now and spring, it could all end in tears, with leaves shrivelled by frost.”