SPRING has come early for farmer Steve Page - 12 woolly bundles arrived before Boxing Day.

Mr Page, who has 500 ewes on his farm at Deblins Green, near Worcester, aims to have plenty of lambs ready for the Easter market but this year's early deliveries broke all previous records - the first lamb arrived on Saturday, December 16, and there have been 11 others this week.

He is now expecting a few sleepless nights over the Christmas and new year as he has 150 ewes expected to produce one or two offsprings each in this first batch.

"I shall have a few sleepless nights with a whisky bottle," he said.

"You have just got to be there to pen them up and make sure the mothers and their lambs stay together."

The ewes and lambs are all undercover at present while the weather is wet and the young are building up their strength.

Most of Mr Page's 500 ewes will reproduce in February and recent scans show they are expecting four sets of quads, 135 sets of triplets and 360 sets of twins, making a grand total of more than 1,100 lambs.

Earlier this year, unusual seasonal temperatures confused wildlife in Worcestershire.

According to the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust there have been some continued on page two unusual sightings and reports in recent weeks including song thrushes and goldcrests in full spring song, dragonflies seen in December, butterflies still on the wing, bush crickets calling and birds choosing the ample berries and insects still available instead of food in bird feeders and on bird tables.

The trust also said gardeners all over the county are experiencing changes in flowering times for plants, bulbs and shrubs which affects the insects and birds which rely on them for food and shelter.