Autumn

Early autumn witnesses the return journey of post-breeding migratory birds moving on southerly passage to their over-wintering grounds in the equatorial regions and beyond. The Swallow roost in the reed beds will have already peaked at around 20,000 birds, however substantial numbers of Hirundines will continue to pass through the Reserve well into the autumn.

Whilst Bittern have not bred at Slapton Ley since 1997, 1 or 2 birds will regularly over-winter here, and the patient “birder” should be rewarded with a sighting as the bird moves over the reed beds at dawn and dusk. Migrant Hawker dragonflies remain active well into November, and Hobbies can be seen feeding on their preferred prey into the mid-autumn season. Chance sightings of Osprey are not unusual, 1 or 2 birds staying over the nearby Kingsbridge Estuary to feed up on Grey Mullet before making the journey on to Africa. The importance of the site as a major staging post for Pied and White Wagtails has only recently been recognised. The Wagtail roost in the reed beds can peak at 2,000 birds in October as they move through on southerly passage from their breeding grounds in Iceland and Scotland.

Dark,wet,windy autumn nights provide ideal cover and conditions for migrating eels, as they leave the Ley and embark on the long return journey to their spawning grounds across the Atlantic Ocean in the Sargasso Sea. The eels in their silver form exit the Ley via the weir at Torcross in their thousands. The NNR team will be monitoring the eel run using specially adapted traps, the data being passed to the Indicang Project, a 3 year study into the status of the European Eel.

Slapton Wood is an area of Ancient Woodland, comprising mainly Oak and Sweet Chestnut. October in an English deciduous woodland generates a spectacular sea of Autumn colours and the woods at Slapton are no exception. Generally reserved as a sanctuary area, SLNNR will be inviting the public to join the team on a woodland walk as part of our events program, an experience not to be missed.