ER, excuse me Mother Nature, sorry to bother you and all that, but you appear to have forgotten to check your calendar.

It's the middle of October yet my clematis is in bloom and a curtain of passion-flowers is obscuring my front gate; my Torbay palm has a giant floral crown and next door's magnolia is looking magnificent.

Where's the frost?

Where's the wind and the rain?

Where are my short-sleeved tops?

And this un-seasonal mildness isn't just confusing the plant-life, it also seems to be causing a flurry among bird populations, too, a perfect example of which can be seen on Brownsea Island lagoon where wading bird numbers have escalated and a record-breaking flock of 26 spoonbills has just swooped in.

Dorset Wildlife Trust warden Abigail Gibbs says: "We regularly see one or two spoonbills each winter on the lagoon, but to the best of our knowledge this is the largest flock ever recorded in Dorset - and possibly the country.

"It will be interesting to see what they do next, and whether they follow the lead of little egrets a decade ago and stay to try and breed."

If indeed the spoonbills do breed on Brownsea, it will be the first known nesting site in the British Isles.

These large white birds, named after their long, spoon-shaped bills, are related to the heron and up until now the nearest breeding population has been in Holland and at least one of the birds in Poole has a colour ring on its leg identifying it as of Dutch origin.

So why this sudden spate of spoonbills? Is it all down to climate change?

According to DWT warden, Chris Thain there is no scientific fact that it is, though it seems the most likely explanation of all.

"To be honest, I have no idea why the numbers are increasing, but it is tempting to speculate that European birds are moving north for winter.

"We don't know how long the spoonbills will be here. They might decide they like it enough to stay until spring - and that's when there's a possibility that they'll nest. Then again, they could leave next week."

Brownsea's lagoon is internationally important for wintering wading birds and during the last week more than 1,100 avocets and 1,500 black-tailed godwits have been among the seventeen species of waders present.

Brownsea Island, owned by the National Trust, is open daily between 10am and 4pm until 28 October - so there's just time to witness this bird bonanza.

Boats go from Poole Quay and Sandbanks.

For more information call Dorset Wildlife Trust on 01202 709445 or visit dorsetwildlife.co.uk