Richard Collins: Young puffins dangerously attracted to artificial light

The little pufflings are more likely to go astray and get stranded when there is light pollution — the lucky ones are gathered up by Icelandic children who return them to the sea

A stranded puffling on Newfoundland coast. Puffling strandings are a growing concern on either side of the Atlantic as they are likely to be run over by cars or become prey to predators. Image by Taylor Brown.

Heimaey is a small island off the south coast of Iceland. Its black basalt cliffs rise directly from the sea. During a visit there some years ago, a shroud of ash from its smouldering volcano was slowly smothering islanders’ homes.

This spooky place has two claims to fame. In November 1963, an eruption, 130 metres under the sea, began creating a new island nearby. It’s called ‘Surtsey' — the island of the Norse fire-god, Surtr.