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I suppose I oughta

If you haven’t seen this picture today, welcome. Is this your first visit to the internet?

This shot was taken in a park in East London and, of course, contrary to appearances, this isn’t a happy Disney funride species mashup. It’s a stoat trying to kill a woodpecker for its supper. They both survived. Poor, poor hungry stoaty. I looked for a link to the original, straight news article but it was too late…

…the internet had exploded into tweets and memes.

(Thanks to everyone who sent me links. It gives me a warm, happy glow that a sizable chunk of the internet hears ‘weasel’ and immediately thinks of me).

True story. I read in one of my many volumes of weasel lore that a gamekeeper(?) once found a recently dead eagle that had an ancient, mummified weasel hanging off its chest. He figured the eagle had stooped to the weasel and broken its back, after which the weasel was able to extricate itself, pull its broken body up the body of the flying eagle, sink its fangs over the heart of the bird, die and go into spasm, there to stay forever.

The eagle lived out its life with a dessicated stoat hanging off of him. Let that be a lesson. I’m not sure what lesson that should be, but please let it be one.

Comments


Comment from S. Weasel
Time: March 3, 2015, 9:27 pm

Ah, here. Here’s some more unaltered pictures of the original event.


Comment from S. Weasel
Time: March 3, 2015, 9:33 pm

If you’ve had one of those days, live rescue kitten cam. I dip into it every once in a while. They usually manage to have the kittehs in shot.

They’re about six months old now.


Comment from Timothy S. Carlson
Time: March 3, 2015, 9:50 pm

Eagle = taxpayers. Dessicated stoat = politicians.

See? It all makes sense now.


Comment from Stark Dickflüssig
Time: March 3, 2015, 10:16 pm

Eagle = taxpayers. Dessicated stoat = politicians.

See? It all makes sense now.

Definitely explains McCain & Pelosi.


Comment from Stark Dickflüssig
Time: March 3, 2015, 10:19 pm

this isn’t a happy Disney funride species mashup

They’re trying to make a stoatpecker!

They’ll be marching for rights next, I tell ya. They just want access to our kids to teach ’em all kinds of wicked things.


Comment from mojo
Time: March 3, 2015, 11:15 pm

DON’T BE THAT EAGLE!


Comment from Some Vegetable
Time: March 4, 2015, 1:23 am

Naturally, for me, this post reminds me of the classic

Last Great Act Of Defiance ; this isn’t the classic version but I do like it.

I like this one too just ’cause I like it


Comment from Skandia Recluse
Time: March 4, 2015, 2:16 am

This is why I enjoy the internet. One can learn things. Sometimes.


Comment from J.S.Bridges
Time: March 4, 2015, 3:56 am

Eagle = taxpayers. Dessicated stoat = politicians.

See? It all makes sense now.

Definitely explains McCain & Pelosi.

Explains McCain; there is no explanation other than total insanity for Pelosi.


Comment from Nina
Time: March 4, 2015, 5:15 am

Poor little baby doesn’t have this whole hunting thing down yet, does he?


Comment from surly
Time: March 4, 2015, 8:03 am

The badassary of weaseldom should never be underestimated.


Comment from Steamboat McGoo
Time: March 4, 2015, 9:56 am

So would this be a case of airborne ‘Pecker-‘Jacking?


Comment from MikeW
Time: March 4, 2015, 2:33 pm

Meanwhile, a revelation during Spock homage season that was news to me: Evidently he was quite accomplished in wide-angle lens photography…

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/commentisfree/2015/mar/03/leonard-nimoy-full-body-project


Comment from Christopher Taylor
Time: March 4, 2015, 3:28 pm

Pretty much the same thing here, but it worked out better for the lil’ weasel: he tried to kill and eat the bird and got a ride for his troubles, then the bird flew away.


Comment from Stoatpeckers FTW
Time: March 4, 2015, 3:34 pm

Don’t you just love the bowdlerized PG-13 version about “hunting” and “killing”. The stoat was overcame by the hormonal urge to do what stoats do, and the woodypecker was handy.

Some people just can’t handle reality.


Comment from mojo
Time: March 4, 2015, 7:10 pm

Do stoats turn white in the winter like weasels?


Comment from mojo
Time: March 4, 2015, 7:12 pm

Ah. Never mind.

http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-stoat-and-vs-weasel/

I love the internet.


Comment from Wolfus Aurelius
Time: March 4, 2015, 7:22 pm

That weasel will be the leader of his contemporaries. “Mama, I’m-a kill that bird!” “But it’s a full-grown woodpecker, son! You haven’t a chance!” “Fuggit, I’m-a kill SOMETHING!”

His genes will live on and enrich his tribe. Presuming he doesn’t attack something even bigger than the woodpecker and get himself killed before he reproduces, that is.


Comment from Ripley
Time: March 4, 2015, 7:30 pm

Re Wolfus

I’m waiting for the weasel tries to kill ostrich photo.


Comment from Wee Shell
Time: March 4, 2015, 11:37 pm

[joanbaez]
Weasel Overcome
Weasel Overcome
Weasel Overcome
Wood Pecker
Deep In My Heart
I Do Believe
Weasel Overcome
Someday
[/joanbaez]


Comment from JuliaM
Time: March 9, 2015, 7:15 am

Ripley, it would probably not go well, since an ostrich is bigger than a heron:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2985444/Who-win-fight-heron-weasel-pictures-s-definitely-bird.html


Comment from pst314
Time: April 18, 2015, 8:02 pm

“They’re trying to make a stoatpecker!”

See Terry Pratchett’s Hedgehog Song. 🙂

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