A puffling nicknamed Mr Whippy has been found under an ice cream van in East Lothian.

Conservationists have urged residents to be on the lookout for young puffins following the first rescue of the season.

Experts from the Scottish Seabird Centre were called out at the weekend and the baby puffin, named after his hiding place, has now been released back out to sea.

Puffins and their young pufflings are leaving their burrows on the Forth islands of Craigleith, Fidra and the Isle of May national nature reserve and heading out to sea.

The adults will not come ashore again until they return to breed next spring but some pufflings become disorientated by lights from the mainland.

They sometimes fly into town and find somewhere dark to hide from predators, often underneath cars and under plants in garden.

North Berwick resident Mike Thornton found the baby puffling and managed to safely catch it and take it to the Scottish Seabird Centre.

Manager Alexander Turnbull said: "The puffling itself was fine, though a little confused and scared.

"I waited until sunset before releasing it by the old pier just as high tide was spilling over onto the surface.

"It flew out of my hands and gently landed on the water a metre away from the pier, before diving a few times. It then started to paddle itself out towards the Lamb, looking quite happy and calm."

To help raise awareness of the pufflings and their unplanned trips to shore, North Berwick Wildlife Watch has created a video with photographer Barrie Williams.

Anyone who finds a puffling is urged to call the Scottish Seabird Centre on 01620 890202 or the Scottish SPCA on 03000 999 999.

There are around 5500 occupied puffin burrows on Craigleith island and around 55,000 around the Firth of Forth, with two adults and one puffling for each successful nest.

The centre's chief executive Tom Brock said: "It is a crucial time in the puffin season and we want to ensure as many as possible of these wonderful seabirds make it out to sea."