Weekend Walk : Hulme End to Revidge

On Saturday afternoon I set out for a seven mile walk from Hulme End, at one end of the Manifold Valley Trail...

I heard my first chiffchaffs of the year as I wandered up hill towards Warslow.

Looking back, that's Ecton Hill. A few years ago I went inside that hill on a guided tour to explore the old copper mine and I had a tour of the old engine house on the hillside on a different occasion too, all very interesting.

There were skylarks singing...

I wandered over the moorland on Revidge, which means 'edge frequented by foxes',

and up to the trig point to admire the views.

I could see Thor's Cave in the distance below, though it's not so clearly visible in this photo, maybe if you zoom in and know what it looks like you'll spot it!

Then carried on over the moor and down to a track towards Reapsmoor.

In the distance above you can see the hills of the Dove Valley. Below, I zoomed in on Parkhouse Hill which I walked up a couple of months ago.

I watched a kestrel hunting

and found this little rove beetle on a busier road that passes the end of the above track. I moved him to a safer place. I think it's Platydracus stercorarius.

After leaving the road again I spotted something just lying in the grass that I thought was a large bird pellet. As I picked it up, I realised it wasn't a pellet. It was a caterpillar in a very thin cocoon.

I don't know what kind it is, or if it was alive or not. It seems an inadequate cocoon to me so I did wonder if it started the job then died, or perhaps it had been blown off whatever it had attached itself too. I really don't know though. I put it back as I had found it, in case it was alive and well.

These sheep crept in behind me from another field as I walked across the one below...

And as I went through the gate they all charged to the trough, only to be disappointed that I hadn't been a farmer leaving any feed!

I passed this fine fellow as we walked through a farmyard.

This was a walk filled with the calls of curlews, always a joy to hear :)

Over the bridge by Brund Mill and then up and over a hill...

...heading back towards Hulme End. 

Almost there now. After crossing the River Manifold, it was just a short walk back to the starting point.

The walk ended with a couple of oystercatchers which were pulling up worms to eat.

How was your weekend?