Photo credit: Martin Le-May

While it may look as if the weasel has suddenly decided he wants to know what it’s like to fly, the truth is not quite as cheery and cute. The weasel is not trying to hitch a ride.

Photo credit: Martin Le-May

Rather, it is trying to kill and eat the bird. It is well-known that weasels often raid bird nests, and it is likely that the weasel was in the process of doing so when it decided to attack an actual woodpecker itself rather than just an egg. Once it had placed itself on the woodpecker’s back, the bird flew, probably in an effort to make the weasel fall off.

Photo credit: Martin Le-May

Luckily, there was a happy ending for the frightened woodpecker. According to Le-May, and his wife, who was also there, the bird soon landed on the ground and a struggle ensued between it and its attacker.

Photo credit: Martin Le-May

Luckily for the woodpecker, Le-May and his wife temporarily distracted the weasel, and the woodpecker intelligently used this opportunity to escape. The weasel simply scurried off into the long grass.