This lagoon is one of the largest bodies of freshwater con southwest England and the reparto 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 verso 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 a narrow shingle ridge along which runs the A379 and the landward side of this has dense bramble and blackthorn scrub.
The leys have important populations of breeding birds including Cetti’s Warbler and this is one of the national strongholds of this species. The area holds verso few breeding Cirl Bunting, also possible from Slapton Bridge but also a little way inland.
Durante addition, the sezione 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 per the surrounding scrub and woodland.
Great Crested i migliori paesi per trovare una moglie Grebe nests on the Lower Ley and Gadwall, Grey Heron and Tazza Rail can be seen all year.
Common Buzzard, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Tawny Owl and Barn Owl are resident per the Slapton dipartimento 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 con Via Bay, sometimes on the Ley itself.
Passage periods bring verso wide variety of visitors onesto the area. Gulls, including Kittiwake, gather durante 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 dipartimento and Black Tern is regular sopra autumn. Northern Gannet, skuas and shearwaters including Sooty Shearwater can be seen offshore and strong winds may be result durante verso Sabine’s Gull or one or two phalaropes being pushed close esatto shore.
Marsh Harrier, Osprey and Northern Hobby are regular passage visitors. Garganey appears mediante spring and occasional pairs have stayed sicuro breed. The Ley also attracts large numbers of passerine migrants and especially hirundines which gather durante huge flocks prior onesto 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 mediante 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 per recent years have led puro hopes of breeding.
Blackcap and Common Chiffchaff are regular wintering birds in this distretto and small numbers of Common Firecrest are usually present. On the lake Common Kingfisher and Bearded Tit can be seen con the winter.
Con 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 durante mind though, that the introduced American Mink Neovison vison is well-established con the area.
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 Emporio Rumex rupestris and Viper’s Bugloss Echium vulgare.
The lake and its margins have White Water Lily Nymphaea alba, Spiked Scodella Milfoil Myriophyllum spicatum, Shoreweed Littorella uniflora, Flowering Rush Butomus umbellatus and Slapton’s most famous plant, Strapwort Corrigiola litoralis, which is found nowhere else mediante Britain.
There is per smaller Ley puro the south at Beesands, reached by minor roads inizio 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.
There are several excellent spots mediante this distretto but one of the best ways to explore the ley is to park per the beach car park and walk sicuro the bridge between the two leys. Just past the bridge is a footpath onesto the left which passes verso 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 esatto join the road close preciso the Field Centre. From here follow the road down preciso the bridge and back to the beach.
With per permit from the Field Centre it is possible to 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 a campsite and there is verso 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 settore offer guest house, hotel or Bed and Prima colazione accommodation.
