BirdGuides
South Milton Ley is a 16.6-hectare (41 acres) Site of Special Interest (SSSI) and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in the South Hams, Devon.[1] It contains the second-largest reedbed in Devon, which was acquired in 1976 by the Devon Birdwatching and Preservation Society, now renamed Devon Birds.[2]
South Milton Ley is one of the best examples of freshwater reedbed in Devon, and is particularly important for its breeding bird community and the variety of birds using the site.[1] It lies in a shallow coastal river valley separated from the sea by a sand bar.[2] The waters of the Ley adjacent to the bar are slightly brackish owing to occasional tidal influence, but upstream they give way to freshwater.[1]
Flora and fauna
The reedswamp of the lower Ley is dominated by common reed (Phragmites australis); further upstream the vegetation contains a mixture of other tall fen species including hemlock water-dropwort (Oenanthe crocata), yellow flag (Iris pseudacorus), great willowherb (Epilobium hirsutum) and reed sweet-grass (Glyceria maxima).[1]
Reed warblers (Acrocephalus scirpaceus), sedge warblers (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus) and
Cetti’s warblers (Cettia cetti) are among the diverse community of breeding birds seen at South Milton Leys, which is also used as a roost by birds including yellow wagtails (Motacilla flava) and swallows (Hirundo rustica) on their migratory passages.[1]