Sometimes, nature gifts us with moments so rare and so extraordinary that they seem almost unbelievable. One such moment unfolded in Hornchurch Country Park, east London, when a baby weasel was spotted clinging tightly to the back of a green woodpecker in mid-flight—an image that stunned the world and became an instant viral sensation.
The photograph, taken by amateur photographer Martin Le-May, captured the kind of drama that usually remains hidden deep in the wild. What at first appeared to be an adorable hitchhiker story quickly revealed itself to be something far more primal: a fight for survival. The weasel had not set out for a joyride—it had launched a fierce attack, targeting the woodpecker as prey.
Le-May, a 52-year-old project manager from Essex with a passion for photography, was walking through the park with his wife Ann when they heard distressed squawking coming from the bushes. Curious, he raised his camera. In that split second of instinct, he caught sight of the green woodpecker behaving strangely, as if weighed down. As the bird burst into the air, Le-May’s camera followed—and so did the astonishing truth.
There, gripping tightly onto the bird’s feathers, was a small predator: a young weasel. To see such a creature locked in combat with a bird mid-flight was surreal. Through his Canon 70D and 300mm lens, Le-May froze the moment forever.
“It was only when I looked closer that I realized what I was seeing,” he later said. “It was mind-blowing.”
The drama didn’t end there. As the couple moved closer, the weasel appeared momentarily distracted. That distraction was all the woodpecker needed. With a sudden burst of strength, it broke free and retreated into the safety of the bushes, escaping what might have been a deadly fate.
When Le-May shared the photograph on Twitter, it spread like wildfire. Thousands of users around the world marveled at the scene, calling it both incredible and surreal. For many, it looked like something out of a children’s storybook—a woodpecker offering a ride to a tiny passenger. But as wildlife experts quickly explained, this was no friendly lift.
Richard James, a wildlife advisor for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, praised the images as “an incredible set” and provided vital context. Weasels, he explained, are small but ferocious hunters, often targeting prey larger than themselves. The green woodpecker, which spends much of its time feeding on the ground, was especially vulnerable to ambush. “This was a one-in-a-million shot,” James said. “The woodpecker was lucky—it was strong enough to take flight with the weasel on its back, which likely saved its life.”
That luck, and Le-May’s timing, combined to create one of the most extraordinary wildlife images of recent memory.
The story of the weasel and the woodpecker reminds us that nature is at once brutal and beautiful. It is a world where survival demands courage, strength, and sometimes pure chance. Yet through the lens of a camera, even the harshest struggle can become a moment of wonder.
For Martin Le-May, what began as an ordinary walk with his wife became an encounter he—and the world—will never forget. For the rest of us, the photograph serves as a glimpse into the untamed drama of the natural world, where every moment holds the possibility of awe.
