Notoriously skulking, this species is most easily seen from Slapton Bridge at dawn

This lagoon is one of the largest bodies of freshwater mediante southwest England and the dipartimento has long been verso popular destination for naturalists.

The Ley itself is split into two, the Higher Ley above the bridge is now almost entirely per reedbed with encroaching willow scrub while the Lower Ley is open water fringed by reeds.

The leys are separated from the sea of Via Bay by verso narrow shingle ridge along which runs the A379 and the landward side of this has dense bramble and blackthorn scrub.

Notable Species

The leys have important populations of breeding birds including Cetti’s Warbler and this is one of the national strongholds of this species. The dipartimento holds per few breeding Cirl Bunting, also possible from Slapton Bridge but also a little way inland.

Con prime, the distretto attracts a wide range of passage birds and wintering waterfowl per some numbers. More than 230 species have been recorded.

As well as Cetti’s Warbler the reedbeds have good populations of Reed Warbler and Sedge Warbler, and Grasshopper Warbler, Blackcap, Common Chiffchaff and other warblers breed sopra the surrounding scrub and woodland.

Great Crested Grebe nests on the Lower Ley and Gadwall, Grey Heron and Vaso Rail can be seen all year.

Common Buzzard, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Tawny Owl and Barn Owl are resident durante the Slapton area and can be seen around the Ley.

The cliffs nearby have breeding Northern Fulmar, Shag, Great Cormorant and Great Black-backed Gull and these species can often be seen sopra Start Bay, sometimes on the Ley itself.

Passage periods bring per wide variety of visitors onesto the sezione. Gulls, including Kittiwake, gather con large numbers and there are usually small numbers of Little Gull and Mediterranean Gull esatto be found. Sandwich Tern and other terns pass through the area and Black Tern is regular durante autumn. Northern Gannet, skuas and shearwaters including Sooty Shearwater can be seen offshore and strong winds may be result durante per Sabine’s Gull or one or two phalaropes being pushed close sicuro shore.

Marsh Harrier, Osprey and Northern Diletto are regular Cultura di incontri colombiana. passage visitors. Garganey appears durante spring and occasional pairs have stayed preciso breed. The Ley also attracts large numbers of passerine migrants and especially hirundines which gather con huge flocks prior puro migration.

Winter sees the arrival of ducks, particularly Tufted Duck and Common Pochard but also Common Goldeneye, one or two Long-tailed Duck often visit the lake and various seaducks appear offshore. Ruddy Duck has begun puro appear more often durante winter and small numbers of dabbling duck occur.

Grebes occur on passage and durante winter and can include Slavonian Grebe and Black-necked Grebe and divers of all three species are regular offshore, sometimes occurring on the lake after storms. One or two Bittern turn up most winters and extended spring stays con recent years have led to hopes of breeding.

Blackcap and Common Chiffchaff are regular wintering birds con this dipartimento and small numbers of Common Firecrest are usually present. On the lake Common Kingfisher and Bearded Tit can be seen in the winter.

Other Wildlife

Mediante recent years Otter Lutra lutra has become more frequently recorded at Slapton and watching from the bridge early durante the morning provides the best chance of seeing one. Bear in mind though, that the introduced American Mink Neovison vison is well-established con the dipartimento.

The insects of Slapton Ley have been well-studied and dragonflies and damselflies are particularly well-represented. Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta and Hairy Dragonfly Brachytryon pratense can be found as well as Downy Emerald Cordulia aenea and Southern Damselfly Coenagrion mercuriale. Jersey Tiger Moth is another local speciality.

Botanists can find much of interest on the shingle ridge between the sea and the freshwater with species such as Sea Radish Raphanus raphanistrum maritimus, Ray’s Knotgrass Polygonum oxyspermum, Yellow Horned Poppy Glaucium flavum, Shore Fondaco Rumex rupestris and Viper’s Bugloss Echium vulgare.

The lake and its margins have White Chicchera Lily Nymphaea principio, Spiked Tazza Milfoil Myriophyllum spicatum, Shoreweed Littorella uniflora, Flowering Rush Butomus umbellatus and Slapton’s most famous plant, Strapwort Corrigiola litoralis, which is found nowhere else sopra Britain.

Areas of Interest

There is a smaller Ley esatto the south at Beesands, reached by minor roads modo Stokenham, which is often worth viewing but more importantly, the small valley here may still hold Cirl Bunting, now one of Britain’s most threatened breeding birds.

Access and Facilities

There are several excellent spots durante this distretto but one of the best ways esatto explore the ley is esatto park per the beach car park and walk onesto the bridge between the two leys. Just past the bridge is verso footpath puro the left which passes verso small hut where verso logbook of recent sightings is kept. Keep following the path along the shore at the northern end of the lake and then across farmland puro join the road close onesto the Field Centre. From here follow the road down sicuro the bridge and back onesto the beach.

With a permit from the Field Centre it is possible puro explore the distretto more fully, notably along the back of both the Higher and Lower Leys and adjoining woodlands. There are hides at the southern end of the Lower Ley, one at Torcross and another on the opposite bank reached from the A379.

Slapton village has a campsite and there is verso carrozzone site at Beesands just south of Torcross at the southern end of the Lower Ley. Alternatively, most of the towns and villages mediante this picturesque distretto offer guest house, hotel or Bed and Breakfast accommodation.