
These pictures show the moment a weasel bit off more than it could chew when it made the unwise decision to attack a heron.

The aggressive mammal was seen leaping up and biting the large bird's beak, with the move quickly backfiring for the weasel who did not live to tell the tale.

After deciding enough was enough, the heron scooped up the critter in its mouth and flew to a nearby lake to drown it, dipping the weasel underwater twice to make sure it was dead.

Clinging on: This aggressive weasel was drowned by a heron after the mammal annoyed the bird by attacking it and biting its large beak

Pick on someone your own size: The weasel was pictured biting the heron's beak as it bit off more than it could chew by taking on the large bird

Going down: The annoyed heron decided enough was enough, picking up the weasel in its beak and flying to a nearby lake to drown it

Dunk: The large bird plunged the mammal into the water twice, holding it underneath the surface until it had drowned

The photographs, taken by bird watcher Jonathan Forgham, show nature at its most brutal as the heron gobbled down the weasel in one gulp.

Mr Forgham was leaving Elmley Nature Reserve on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, after spending three hours photographing owls when he spotted the weasel attacking the heron.

He said: 'I got my car closer and could see the weasel attacking the bird. At that point the heron wasn't trying to eat it, it was just trying to get rid of it. But the weasel attacked its beak again and the heron picked it up and flew of to the pond.

'I drove the car round there in time to see the heron try to drown the weasel. It lifted it out of the water and then dunked it again to make sure it was dead.

'When the weasel was quite motionless the heron swallowed it. Afterwards it didn't do much, it just stood there looking quite smug.

'I have been bird watching all my life and have seen a heron eat ducklings and a snake before but never anything as big as a weasel.

The photographs were taken by bird watcher Jonathan Forgham at Elmley Nature Reserve on the Isle of Sheppey, in Kent

Bird watcher Mr Forgham said the weasel's attack 'wasn't very wise', however they have a reputation for being aggressive

Gulp: The heron, seen with the weasel's bite marks on its beak, gobbled its motionless dinner down in one go once it was sure it was dead

Hold on! The pictures come days after a weasel was pictured clinging on to a flying woodpecker after pouncing on top of the bird

'It wasn't very wise of the weasel to go after a heron but they are aggressive, never give up and fight to the death. You could see bite marks on the heron's beak.

'It was very lucky because it happened just as I was leaving. You can't wait around for something like that to happen, it is a once in a lifetime moment.'

The pictures come days after a weasel was pictured clinging on to a flying woodpecker after pouncing on top of the bird as it battled to take it down.

The astounding image went viral online after thousands of users shared the 'one-in-a-million' snap on social media, as well as dozens of hilarious parodies of celebrities riding on the bird's back.