News and Events
We love to hear about your experience and see your photographs through the seasons. Don't forget to follow us on Facebook and share our pages. We know we've done a great job when you've had a fantastic day out!
Dawn Chorus in the Goyt
High Quality recording by Paul Smith of the Dawn Chorus in the Goyt Valley on the morning of 16th May 2020
Paul writes "This is a 24 bit audio recording of the dawn chorus recorded at around 05:30 on 16/05/2020.
Recorded from the woods at the far end, away from the boathouse using the Rode NTG4+ shotgun mic and a Zoom F4 audio recorder."
Woodland Paintings
Lyn Noble, local Buxton landscape painter shares three of his views from Corbar Woods
Corbar an artists view
Lyn Noble has painted these views of BCA's Corbar Woods and written about the inspiration that he finds in the woods and painting them
Corbar Wood
Our woodlands are always beautiful, but in Spring they’re even more so. Low morning or evening light can still find its way through young leaves. Gaps in the canopy allow the floodlighting of sandy mounds and glades, enhanced by surrounding areas of deep shadow. Light against dark; dark against light, each tone brightened or darkened by the contrast with its surroundings.
A sort of metaphor for the times we live in?
I’m often accused of walking too fast but Corbar Wood always slows me down. Changes in foliage and light throughout the year keep revealing new vignettes, different angles. Back home I find that I find that I’ve already taken that latest photo, but it’s different. Back into the woods, again and again, a gestation period until the paintbox is fished out (again!).
Lyn
Corbar Woods Bluebell Gallery
We have collected some photographs of the bluebells in Corbar Woods this year. Another beautiful display. We are so lucky to have these woods on our doorsteps.
Sounds from Hogshaw Woods
60 seconds of sounds recorded on a Saturday lunchtime in Hogshaw Woods
Blue bells in Corbar
The Blue Bell by Emile Bronte
The blue bell is the sweetest flower
That waves in summer air;
Its blossoms have the mightiest power
To soothe my spirit's care.
There is a spell in purple heath
Too wildly, sadly dear;
The violet has a fragrant breath
But fragrance will not cheer.
The trees are bare, the sun is cold;
And seldom, seldom seen;
The heavens have lost their zone of gold
The earth its robe of green;
And ice upon the glancing stream
Has cast its sombre shade
And distant hills and valleys seem
In frozen mist arrayed -
The blue bell cannot charm me now
The heath has lost its bloom,
The violets in the glen below
They yield no sweet perfume.
But though I mourn the heather-bell
'Tis better far, away;
I know how fast my tears would swell
To see it smile today;
And that wood flower that hides so shy
Beneath the mossy stone
Its balmy scent and dewy eye:
'Tis not for them I moan.
It is the slight and stately stem,
The blossom's silvery blue,
The buds hid like a sapphire gem
In sheaths of emerald hue.
'Tis these that breathe upon my heart
A calm and softening spell
That if it makes the tear-drop start
Has power to soothe as well.
For these I weep, so long divided
Through winter's dreary day,
In longing weep--but most when guided
On withered banks to stray.
If chilly then the light should fall
Adown the dreary sky
And gild the dank and darkened wall
With transient brilliancy,
How do I yearn, how do I pine
For the time of flowers to come,
And turn me from that fading shine
To mourn the fields of home -
Grinlow Woods in Autumn
Professional Photographer John Sargent took these beautiful photos in Grinlow Woods on a recent Sunday afternoon stroll
Fun and Adventures in Corbar Woods
On Saturday 15th September from 1 - 4 pm
What will we find?
What will we see?
Who lives in the wonderwoods?
Join us for an afternoon of making, laughing and inventing adventures in Corbar Woods, one of Buxton’s oldest woods. There, under the spreading branches of the beech trees, we’ll tell terrible tales of the strange and wonderful world of Corbar. By ancient yews we’ll make the mysterious animals and beautiful peoples who might yet be hidden in the woods. As old and well-crunkled oaks watch us, we’ll make shining, glittering wood-eyes so the wood can watch us all the way home….
Join us for an afternoon of making, laughter and mess!
Drop in between 1 and 4 on Saturday 15th. This is one of a number of activities in Buxton that afternoon so look out for excitements at Lightwood, in Pavilion Gardens and in Grin low Woods at Buxton Country Park as well…
The activity is free, no booking needed
Materials provided
Enter the woods by the Corbar Rd entrance and we will be based somewhere round there
Butterflies thriving in Grinlow
Steve Orridge reports on a better year for Butterflies in Grin low
Every year a band of dedicated butterfly enthusiasts look forward to the start of the survey season. This runs from the beginning of April until the end of September and lasts for 26 weeks.
The year is divided up between the volunteers and it usually means that we each have one survey to do a month. We started surveying in 2015 and each year has been better than the last.
See Graph below
We are now up to week 19 and our count is already 100 more than last years total. We have seen 18 species of butterfly within Grinlow and here is a selection from the 11 species we saw in week 19’s survey.
Last year was a fantastic year for Red Admirals with huge numbers seen right up to the end of September Will we get the same this year? It is hard to tell but the dry hot summer and lack of rain has reduced the crop of Devil’s Bit Scabious which provided such a wonderful supply of nectar for last year’s generation. No matter how the year ends, it is going to be remembered for the exceptional numbers of butterflies.
Although it is not a rare species this brimstone butterfly is our first record for Grinlow.
It has been a very good year for Common Blue butterfly with 68 being counted on one survey in June.
The introduction of the Woodland Ride in 2015 has provided increased habitats for Butterflies as well as increasing the bio diversity of the wood generally.
We will publish a full report at the end of the year which will be available to download from our website.
If anyone would like to get involved in future surveys please let us know by emailing us at communications@buxtoncivicassociation.org.uk
