Bob White used to like playing The New York Times Crossword problem with his father when he was little. One hint that appeared frequently was “Hawaiian goose,” to which the answer is “nene.” White had been wondering if he would ever see a nene in the wild, and he just got his opportunity.
White was at the headquarters of Haleakala National Park in Maui, Hawaii, when he noticed a nene soaring overhead. This was his opportunity. He went to get his camera, but the bird had already flown passed him. He attempted to photograph the bird nevertheless, but ended up capturing it from an unusual angle.
White then examined the photograph — and couldn’t help but smile at what he had accidentally captured.
“As soon as I downloaded the shot, I couldn’t stop seeing the cat head, but knowing what it was, I knew I had proof of having seen it,” White explained to The Dodo.
From that position, the nene appeared to be some bizarre flying cat. It’s not something most people have seen soaring through the air before, and as soon as White shared it, people went crazy about it.
“I’m astonished that the shot in Crap Wildlife Photography received over 5,000 likes, but it truly does seem like a cat’s head on one of Daenerys Targaryen’s dogs,” White added. “I’m not sure if the ‘ears’ are its feet or its outer rectrices [tail feathers].”
After waiting so long to see a nene, White was hoping to get a cool photo to commemorate the occasion — and the weird cat-bird photo actually worked out just fine.
Link to Paws Daily