Amateur photographer Martin Le-May, from Essex, has recorded the extraordinary image of a weasel riding on the back of a green woodpecker as it flies through the air.
The photograph was taken at Hornchurch Country Park in east London on Monday afternoon.
Speaking to BBC News, Mr Le-May said he had managed to capture the moment while he was out walking with his wife Ann.
He said: "I heard a distressed squawking noise and feared the worst.
"I soon realised it was a woodpecker with some kind of small mammal on its back.
Weasel hitches a lift
Weasel hitches a lift
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
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MajGenl.Meade
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Re: Weasel hitches a lift
Either it bit off more than it could chew.... or the woodpecker didn't make it too far into the woods before becoming lunch! Somewhere, Dad Weasel's trying to explain to Mum Weasel that the boy just didn't LISTEN!
For Christianity, by identifying truth with faith, must teach-and, properly understood, does teach-that any interference with the truth is immoral. A Christian with faith has nothing to fear from the facts
Re: Weasel hitches a lift
Wow, that is tremendous.
I bet they're old buds, having a bit of fun on a sunny afternoon
I bet they're old buds, having a bit of fun on a sunny afternoon
“I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks.” ~ Ruth Bader Ginsburg, paraphrasing Sarah Moore Grimké
Re: Weasel hitches a lift
But could it carry a coconut?
Okay... There's all kinds of things wrong with what you just said.
Re: Weasel hitches a lift
Wow! What we don't know about the natural world could overfill the oceans . . .
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan
~ Carl Sagan
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Sue U
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Re: Weasel hitches a lift
It's not a swallow, is it?Crackpot wrote:But could it carry a coconut?
GAH!
Re: Weasel hitches a lift
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Re: Weasel hitches a lift
thank you gob. I didn t want to be the one to say it....
NEXT ON THE NATURE CHANNEL
Ambiguously gay animals.
“In a world whose absurdity appears to be so impenetrable, we simply must reach a greater degree of understanding among us, a greater sincerity.”
Re: Weasel hitches a lift
I wasn't intimating it was photoshopped or fake Wes, just adding some humor.wesw wrote:thank you gob. I didn t want to be the one to say it....
As far as I can see it's the genuine article.
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Re: Weasel hitches a lift
well it looks fake as hell to me. the weasels left paw doesn t even seem to ruffle any feathers, and why would a baby weasel jump on a pecker?
the pecker looks like taxidermy, convenient that none of the background is in focus and that he was able to get the pecker so clearly in focus in what had to be only a second or two of opportunity to get the shot. must ve been some fast film too, the wing isn t even a little blurry...
the pecker looks like taxidermy, convenient that none of the background is in focus and that he was able to get the pecker so clearly in focus in what had to be only a second or two of opportunity to get the shot. must ve been some fast film too, the wing isn t even a little blurry...
Re: Weasel hitches a lift
The fact that you use the term "fast film" is a bit of a giveaway there...
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Re: Weasel hitches a lift
yeah, I guess it s all digital now huh?
still looks fake tho
still looks fake tho
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MajGenl.Meade
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Re: Weasel hitches a lift
An African swallow, yes...Sue U wrote:It's not a swallow, is it?Crackpot wrote:But could it carry a coconut?
For Christianity, by identifying truth with faith, must teach-and, properly understood, does teach-that any interference with the truth is immoral. A Christian with faith has nothing to fear from the facts
Re: Weasel hitches a lift
Adolescent thrill-seeking weasel, bet he did it on a dare. Damn kids.
Re: Weasel hitches a lift
Thanks for sharing, Daisy - very cool! I didn't know weasels ate birds . . . I'm glad this woodpecker got away! 
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan
~ Carl Sagan
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MajGenl.Meade
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Re: Weasel hitches a lift
MajGenl.Meade wrote:Either it bit off more than it could chew.... or the woodpecker didn't make it too far into the woods before becoming lunch! Somewhere, Dad Weasel's trying to explain to Mum Weasel that the boy just didn't LISTEN!
No, really... thank you, thank you. It was nothing. I'm right like this all the time. No, really... modesty forbids...The woodpecker left with its life, the weasel just disappeared into the long grass, hungry
For Christianity, by identifying truth with faith, must teach-and, properly understood, does teach-that any interference with the truth is immoral. A Christian with faith has nothing to fear from the facts
WEASELS AND FERRETS
These two animals are close cousins.
Obviously, these cute little animals will eat anything with a pulse. Unfortunately, this infant was strapped into a car seat and too stupid to just get out of the seat and walk into another room.
In dad's own defense: “It’s not our fault. We didn’t do it, the animals did it, this little mistake happened. I wish it never did happen, but it happened.” Yep, fair enough, it must be the infant's fault.
Pop... what a weasel.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/2 ... 64624.htmlbigskygal wrote:... I didn't know weasels ate birds . . . I'm glad this woodpecker got away!
Obviously, these cute little animals will eat anything with a pulse. Unfortunately, this infant was strapped into a car seat and too stupid to just get out of the seat and walk into another room.
In dad's own defense: “It’s not our fault. We didn’t do it, the animals did it, this little mistake happened. I wish it never did happen, but it happened.” Yep, fair enough, it must be the infant's fault.
Pop... what a weasel.
“In a world whose absurdity appears to be so impenetrable, we simply must reach a greater degree of understanding among us, a greater sincerity.”
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MajGenl.Meade
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Re: Weasel hitches a lift
It was a mercy-ferret
For Christianity, by identifying truth with faith, must teach-and, properly understood, does teach-that any interference with the truth is immoral. A Christian with faith has nothing to fear from the facts