Slapton Ley is to the left of the photo, which extends all the way from Torcross to Slapton.
Overview
This lagoon is one of the largest bodies of freshwater in southwest England and the area has long been a popular destination for naturalists.
The Ley itself is split into two, the Higher Ley above the bridge is now almost entirely a reedbed with encroaching willow scrub while the Lower Ley is open water fringed by reeds.
The leys are separated from the sea of Start Bay by a narrow shingle ridge along which runs the A379 and the landward side of this has dense bramble and blackthorn scrub.
Birds
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. Notoriously skulking, this species is most easily seen from Slapton Bridge at dawn. The area holds a few breeding Cirl Bunting, also possible from Slapton Bridge but also a little way inland.
In addition, the area attracts a wide range of passage birds and wintering waterfowl in 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 in the surrounding scrub and woodland.
Great Crested Grebe nests on the Lower Ley and Gadwall, Grey Heron and Water Rail can be seen all year.
Common Buzzard, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Tawny Owl and Barn Owl are resident in 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 in Start Bay, sometimes on the Ley itself.
Passage periods bring a wide variety of visitors to the area. Gulls, including Kittiwake, gather in large numbers and there are usually small numbers of Little Gull and Mediterranean Gull to be found. Sandwich Tern and other terns pass through the area and Black Tern is regular in autumn. Northern Gannet, skuas and shearwaters including Sooty Shearwater can be seen offshore and strong winds may be result in a Sabine's Gull or one or two phalaropes being pushed close to shore.
Marsh Harrier, Osprey and Northern Hobby are regular passage visitors. Garganey appears in spring and occasional pairs have stayed to breed. The Ley also attracts large numbers of passerine migrants and especially hirundines which gather in huge flocks prior to 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 to appear more often in 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 in recent years have led to hopes of breeding.
Blackcap and Common Chiffchaff are regular wintering birds in this area and small numbers of Common Firecrest are usually present. On the lake Common Kingfisher and Bearded Tit can be seen in the winter.
Rarities
Rarer migrants such as Purple Heron, Hoopoe and Bluethroat are frequently recorded and a number of vagrants have occurred. In recent years these have included a long-staying American Black Duck, Ferruginous Duck, Ring-necked Duck, Black Kite, Ring-billed Gull, Little Swift, Savi's Warbler, Aquatic Warbler and Great Reed Warbler and Little Bunting.
Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
Red-throated Diver, Black-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Slavonian Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Northern Fulmar, Sooty Shearwater, Manx Shearwater, Northern Gannet, Great Cormorant, European Shag, Great Bittern, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Eurasian Wigeon, Gadwall, Common Teal, Mallard, Garganey, Northern Shoveler, Common Pochard, Tufted Duck, Greater Scaup, Common Eider, Common Scoter, Common Goldeneye, Smew, Goosander, Ruddy Duck, Western Marsh Harrier, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Osprey, Common Kestrel, Northern Hobby, Water Rail, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Ringed Plover, Grey Plover, Red Knot, Sanderling, Dunlin, Ruff, Common Snipe, Whimbrel, Eurasian Curlew, Common Redshank, Common Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone, Great Skua, Pomarine Skua, Arctic Skua, Mediterranean Gull, Little Gull, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Black-legged Kittiwake, Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, Little Tern, Black Tern, Feral Pigeon, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, European Turtle Dove, Common Cuckoo, Barn Owl, Tawny Owl, Common Swift, Common Kingfisher, Eurasian Hoopoe, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Eurasian Skylark, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Northern House Martin, Meadow Pipit, Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Common Wren, Dunnock, Eurasian Robin, Black Redstart, European Stonechat, Northern Wheatear, Eurasian Blackbird, Fieldfare, Redwing, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Cetti's Warbler, Common Grasshopper Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Common Reed Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Common Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Goldcrest, Common Firecrest, Spotted Flycatcher, European Pied Flycatcher, Bearded Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Nuthatch, Common Treecreeper, Common Jay, Common Magpie, Eurasian Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow, Northern Raven, Common Starling, House Sparrow, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Linnet, Common Bullfinch, Yellowhammer, Cirl Bunting, Reed Bunting
Other Wildlife
In recent years Otter Lutra lutra has become more frequently recorded at Slapton and watching from the bridge early in the morning provides the best chance of seeing one. Bear in mind though, that the introduced American Mink Neovison vison is well-established in the area.
Both Grass Snake Natrix natrix and Adder Vipera berus are common.
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 Dock Rumex rupestris and Viper's Bugloss Echium vulgare.
The lake and its margins have White Water Lily Nymphaea alba, Spiked Water Milfoil Myriophyllum spicatum, Shoreweed Littorella uniflora, Flowering Rush Butomus umbellatus and Slapton's most famous plant, Strapwort Corrigiola litoralis, which is found nowhere else in Britain.
Site Information
Areas of Interest
There is a smaller Ley to the south at Beesands, reached by minor roads via 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
Slapton Ley can be reached on the A379 coastal road between Dartmouth and Kingsbridge.
There are several excellent spots in this area but one of the best ways to explore the ley is to park in the beach car park and walk to the bridge between the two leys. Just past the bridge is a footpath to the left which passes a small hut where a logbook of recent sightings is kept. Keep following the path along the shore at the northern end of the lake and then across farmland to join the road close to the Field Centre. From here follow the road down to the bridge and back to the beach.
With a permit from the Field Centre it is possible to explore the area 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 a caravan site at Beesands just south of Torcross at the southern end of the Lower Ley. Alternatively, most of the towns and villages in this picturesque area offer guest house, hotel or Bed and Breakfast accommodation.
The Field Studies Centre offers various natural history courses and accomodation.
Contact Details
Slapton Ley Field Centre Slapton Kingsbridge Devon TQ7 2QP
Tel: 01548 580466 Fax: 01548 580123
External Links
Content and images originally posted by Steve
