BLOSSOMING spring flowers, animals refusing to hibernate and migrating butterflies staying put are just some of the weird and wonderful ways nature is reacting to one of the mildest winters on record.

Last Monday night, the minimum temperature in East Malling was 12.6C (54.7F) making it the second warmest January night recorded in that area, and four times warmer than the 30-year average.

Steve Songhurst, warden of Vinters Valley Nature Reserve at Maidstone, said the absence of a real winter is having a bizarre effect on plants and animals, who are acting as though it is spring.

He said: “I’ve got snowdrops and winter aconite in flower on the reserve, which are nearly a month ahead of themselves, bluebells are already three inches above the ground and the week before Christmas we had oaks and elms with green leaves and blackberry bushes in flower.

“On December 14, I saw a red admiral butterfly which is a migrant butterfly and normally leaves England for Southern Europe in the winter. I’ve never seen one here this late into the season.

“The seasons are completely out of kilter. I’ve heard song thrushes singing in trees and already claiming their territories, which they normally do in spring.”

He has also noticed bees flying around because they haven’t yet formed winter clusters – groups of bees who use their bodies to generate heat, in a ball-shaped formation about the size of a football.

Youngsters at Loose Valley RSPB Wildlife Explorers have noticed that birds are eating less food from bird feeders, because a higher than average number of insects have survived the mild weather.

Group leader Linda Smith said: “I’ve seen clouds of insects dancing above the lawn as late as December.”

Lester Gosbee, the Kent Messenger’s weather correspondent, warned that birds could be caught out if we have a period of cold weather.

“I’ve seen blackbirds, starlings and doves mating already,which doesn’t normally happen until the middle of February.

“If they mate too early and we get a cold snap there won’t be enough grubs and insects to feed the young and they could starve.”

Hedgehogs also seem to have changed their winter habits. He said: “They are not hibernating properly. If they go out and feed they will lose body fat which they will need if it gets cold.”

Ms Smith has also noticed that certain species seem to be mating early.

She said: “I’ve heard foxes screaming already and they don’t normally mate until February. Also, some of the blue tits have already paired off.

“They tend to nest in March and hatch in April when the caterpillars are out. But we could lose some of the early breeding birds if there is a frost.”