The Woodpecker and the weasel

[Moll Flanders]

A man in Hornchurch, Essex captured an image of a weasel riding on the back of a woodpecker.

BBC News - The woodpecker and the weasel

 

[Mischief]

Looks to me as though the weasel was hunting the woodpecker and didn't manage to get the killing blow in fast enough to prevent the woodpecker from taking off. (Weasels (who are ruthlessly efficient killers) generally strike the killing blow on the back of the neck.)

 

[Blobbenstein]

this woodpecker got away, according to what I saw on tellie.

 

[Mischief]

this woodpecker got away, according to what I saw on tellie.

Yes, I saw that. Unfortunately, birds are highly susceptible to certain bacteria that live in the saliva of mammals. A minor bite or even a scratch from the claw of a cat, for example, can lead to an infection that will kill a bird within days or less. Many of the birds that appear to have escaped from a predator will nevertheless die as a result of the encounter.

 

[Moll Flanders]

It seems like weasels live up to their reputation. I didn't realise they were so vicious but I suppose they have to hunt and eat.

I don't like watching wildlife programmes as I get upset when one animal gets killed by another one. I don't want the carnivores to starve but I don't want the herbivores to be killed either.

 

[KLS52]

I feel the same way. I can't even really give much thought to the ways of nature...it bothers me so much, how something that has so much beauty and awesomeness can also be so violent.

 

[Second Summer]

I hope the birdie was alright.

What mammals and birds do doesn't generally bother me too much, but insects and snakes are a different matter ...