This lagoon is one of the largest bodies of freshwater per southwest England and the dipartimento has long been per popular destination for naturalists.
The Ley itself is split into two, the Higher Ley above the bridge is now almost entirely verso reedbed with encroaching willow scrub while the Lower Ley is open chicchera fringed by reeds.
The leys are separated from Messico donne che vogliono uomini statunitensi the sea of Start 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 settore holds per few breeding Cirl Bunting, also possible from Slapton Bridge but also verso little way inland.
Per prime, the dipartimento attracts a wide range of passage birds and wintering waterfowl durante 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 mediante 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 sopra 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 mediante Start Bay, sometimes on the Ley itself.
Passage periods bring verso wide variety of visitors to the distretto. Gulls, including Kittiwake, gather con large numbers and there are usually small numbers of Little Gull and Mediterranean Gull onesto be found. Tartina Tern and other terns pass through the settore and Black Tern is regular per autumn. Northern Gannet, skuas and shearwaters including Sooty Shearwater can be seen offshore and strong winds may be result per verso Sabine’s Gull or one or two phalaropes being pushed close to shore.
Marsh Harrier, Osprey and Northern Passatempo are regular passage visitors. Garganey appears mediante spring and occasional pairs have stayed esatto breed. The Ley also attracts large numbers of passerine migrants and especially hirundines which gather mediante huge flocks prior preciso 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 sicuro appear more often per winter and small numbers of dabbling duck occur.
Grebes occur on passage and in 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 preciso hopes of breeding.
Blackcap and Common Chiffchaff are regular wintering birds sopra 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
Durante recent years Otter Lutra lutra has become more frequently recorded at Slapton and watching from the bridge early con the morning provides the best chance of seeing one. Bear sopra mind though, that the introduced American Mink Neovison vison is well-established mediante the distretto.
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 Deposito Rumex rupestris and Viper’s Bugloss Echium vulgare.
The lake and its margins have White Vaso Lily Nymphaea origine, Spiked Ciotola Milfoil Myriophyllum spicatum, Shoreweed Littorella uniflora, Flowering Rush Butomus umbellatus and Slapton’s most famous plant, Strapwort Corrigiola litoralis, which is found nowhere else durante Britain.
Areas of Interest
There is per smaller Ley to the south at Beesands, reached by minor roads strada 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 sopra this distretto but one of the best ways to explore the ley is preciso park in the beach car park and walk to the bridge between the two leys. Just past the bridge is verso footpath esatto the left which passes a small hut where per logbook of recent sightings is kept. Keep following the path along the shore at the northern end of the lake and then across farmland sicuro join the road close to the Field Centre. From here follow the road down preciso the bridge and back esatto the beach.
With a permit from the Field Centre it is possible puro explore the reparto 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 verso campsite and there is per roulotte 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 area offer guest house, hotel or Bed and Desinare accommodation.