It’s not always the obvious that is the source of danger for the birds. On Craigleith, famous for its puffin colony of ten thousand breeding pairs, the population of what is undeniably the cutest and most comedic of all seabirds fell in a few short years by 90 per cent because of tree mallows, giant invasive plants whose roots make it impossible for the birds to dig the burrows where they incubate their eggs and raise their young. Ever since the calamitous fall in numbers, volunteers have been working to eradicate the mallows. In spite of the efforts of more than a thousand supporters of the puffins, the mallows persist, though their numbers have been reduced sufficiently to allow the puffins to start rebuilding their colonies. They’re a welcome sight; it would be a hard heart that didn’t feel a rise in its spirit at the sight of a puffin.
— Val McDermid, Winter: The Story of a Season (Atlantic Monthly Press, December 30, 2025)
Notes:
- Book Review in Washington Post by Laurie Hertzel: The perfect little book to get you through winter’s doldrums. In “Winter: The Story of the Season,” the prolific mystery writer Val McDermid offers a warm look at a dark time.
- Photo: Chris S via Pexels. Puffin Standing on Ground with Beak Open. Iceland, 2024.