A wildlife photographer in Michigan captured a bizarre image that is likely a once-in-a-lifetime sighting, featuring a small bird appearing to “hitch a ride” on a branch being carried away by a larger bird.
Photographer Jocelyn Anderson recently encountered this strange scene while photographing a sea eagle at a pond.
Anderson told PetaPixel: “I am a wildlife photographer based in Southeast Michigan and a huge bird enthusiast. Recently, I observed a sea eagle flying along the far edge of a pond and noticed that the eagle had a hitchhiker, which was a Red-winged Blackbird.”
As Anderson kept her lens focused on the two birds, she observed that this was not a peaceful journey; the smaller bird was threatening the larger one.
“Red-winged Blackbirds fiercely protect their nests and will attack much larger birds to keep their young safe,” the photographer explained. “The sea eagle was carrying a large branch to renovate its nest, and as both birds flew closer together, I could see the blackbird trying to grab the branch and making threatening calls towards the eagle.”
“In a moment, the blackbird looked like it landed on the tree to rest. I was amazed at how the blackbird followed the sea eagle from its original nesting spot – it looked like it was enjoying a free ride!”.
Wildlife photography often results from a combination of skill, knowledge, preparation, and luck. In 2018, a wildlife photographer in Florida captured a remarkable image of a sea eagle carrying a shark while the shark was eating a fish.
