Weasel on back of woodpecker
Nature enthusiast Martin Le-May took the photo on Monday afternoon in Hornchurch Country Park in east London. He heard squawking and knew something was afoot. Seeing the woodpecker flying in the air with something on its back — he was not at first sure what it was — he snapped off a shot. He got it — a weasel actually flying upon the back of a woodpecker.
Le-May did not himself place the photo onto social media but sent it along to wildlife photographer Jason Ward, who tweeted it and watched the the popularity of the post skyrocket. That surge reached a dizzying height as dozens of media posted the story and photo, many contacting Le-May, a humble fellow of about 50, and confirming how he came to take it.
Woodpecker, weasel and Miley Cyrus
Others made memes of it and Photoshopped people riding on the back of the weasel on the back of the woodpecker, including one with John Travolta up there (???), another with Vladimir Putin and of course the obligatory one with, who else, Kim Kardashian. There’s a nice one with Miley Cyrus on it in her underpants.
So what happened? Le-May and wife, Anne, told ITV that the woodpecker was able to wriggle the beastly weasel off from its back and fly away. The weasel survived a fall and, Le-May said, disappeared into some nearby bushes “still hungry.” At least it had something to tell the kids about.
For his part, Le-May is overjoyed that so many are looking at his photo and hopes it inspires others to get out into nature and take pictures of wildlife in their natural habitat.
