Nature is full of surprises.
Sometimes, we hear stories about nature that make us question whether it is real or a fairytale.
Following is such an amazing moment captured by a photographer named Martin Le-May in 2015. It was a picture of a weasel riding on the back of a green woodpecker.
Can you believe it?
It is not a scene from an unbelievable movie. The picture is as real as it gets. And it got everyone’s attention because seeing these two animals together was so unusual.
Encounter of the unexpected ride
When this incident happened, Martin Le-May and his wife were walking in Hornchurch Country Park. They suddenly heard a bird squawking. They looked around with their binoculars to find what was that. Then, they saw a green woodpecker flying with something on its back. At first, they thought it was a baby bird, but when they got closer, they saw it was actually a weasel! The weasel had tried to attack the bird and went for a ride.
A battle for survival
Martin and his wife clearly saw the bird fighting for its life. The weasel, usually the hunter, had become a hitchhiker, and the woodpecker was trying to escape. Martin did not miss an opportunity to take a great photo of this unusual encounter. Martin said he had just switched from looking through his binoculars to taking pictures with his camera when the bird flew across them and slightly towards them. Still, he quickly took some pictures of the weasel riding on the bird before it landed.
The twist of fate
Luckily, the weasel got distracted by Martin, and the bird took its chance to escape. Martin said that he thinks their presence, about 25 meters away, might have distracted the weasel for a moment.
Martin and his wife Ann watched as the woodpecker landed right before them and fought for its life.
Martin was afraid the bird would not make it. But the woodpecker saw its chance to escape and flew away into some bushes. Martin said the bird quickly regained its composure and flew up into the trees, out of sight. And the couple also saw the weasel disappearing into the grass.
See a news report of the incident here.
Conclusion
Did you see how the roles of predator and prey can sometimes be switched in unexpected ways?
Martin Le-May’s photo of a weasel riding on a woodpecker’s back is an amazing example of how nature can surprise us. Even in cities, animals can do unexpected things to survive. You never know what amazing things animals might do; they are tough and determined to survive, no matter where they are.
