It's the time of year when Edinburgh loves to welcome visitors.
Christina Thomson recently found this swallowtail moth outside her backdoor on Bellevue Place.
Depending on whom you believe, ourapteryx sambucarla (one of this country's largest moths with a wingspan of 40–50mm) is rare outwith July in Norfolk, or common everywhere except in the north of Scotland.
Again depending on whom you believe, it either feeds particularly on ivy or is perfectly happy with pretty much any old shrub or tree it happens to alight upon.
Sources agree, though, that it is seldom seen because, like most other moths and a large number of Festival goers, it mostly comes out only at night.
Meanwhile, beside Warriston Road near the Poppy Factory, this well-kent Broughton local extended a traditional Edinburgh welcome at the weekend.
Spurtle watched the resident heron wax lyrical about the delights of Culture and the World Heritage Site to an eel before pecking repeatedly at its eyeballs.
No amount of stabbing, whacking against rocks or subsequent moaning on about trams would finish the hapless visitor off, so the heron instead began swallowing it alive, head-first, tutting throughout.
Four times the eel wriggled out of the heron's gullet and escaped before finally giving up and accepting its host's hospitality. The whole process took about 15 revolting minutes.
When it comes to accepting too-good-to-be-true offers, Spurtle readers it seems have taken a tip from Nature and are highly sceptical. So much so that our free-tickets offer for two shows in Hill Street have so far gone untaken.
Honestly, there is no catch. We have 4 free tickets to 2 plays (2x2) by Donal O'Kelly to give away (details here). They're yours on a first-come-first-served basis, and are available pretty much on the date of your choice.
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