Bollihope Burn Special Invertebrate Site

Habitats Flower-rich grassland and bare banks

There are thistles, thyme, gorse and bare

areas on the sparsely vegetated spoil

heaps. Flower-rich grassland contains

devil’s-bit scabious, supporting late-

season pollinators. Erosion creates bare

sandy areas, used for basking, hunting

and nesting.

Species

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Woodland, deadwood and hedgerow

A mixture of broadleaf species including

ash, willow and alder, in damp woodland

with standing deadwood, provides shelter

and food.

Running water, river shingle and pond

The Bollihope Burn flows through the site,

with pools, riffles and large areas of river

shingle. The site also features marshy areas

and a large pond with horsetail and lilies.

Brownfield habitat and stone structures

An area of rubble, sparsely vegetated

grassland and scrub, plus stone walls and

old lime kilns, provide a range of sheltered

habitats, basking and nesting sites and

food plants as well as structure for spiders

webs.

Emerald damselflies

(pictured) use the pond

and marshy grassland

while nationally scarce

pygmy soldier flies live

in limestone seepages.

Bare banks are used by

heather colletes bees

(pictured), chocolate

mining bees, green tiger

beetles and field digger

wasps.

Missing orb-web spider,

Zygiella atrica, and

autumn orb weavers

(pictured), use structural

features.

Caddisfly, Rhyacophila

dorsalis (pictured),

emerges from the river.

The harvestman,

Megabunus diadema, is

found in woodland.

Green hairstreak

(pictured), small skipper

and small copper

butterflies are found

here, plus cinnabar and

yellow shell moths.

Flowering plants

support the club-horned

sawfly, dark-edged bee-

fly and late bear

hoverfly (pictured).

Bollihope Burn invertebrate survey route Car parking: lay-by, Bollihope, County Durham, DL13 2SZ; GR: NZ 00602 34952

400000

Terrain: the route follows a rough

footpath which is slippery in places.

Survey route length: 2 miles

For your safety, please be aware that the

car park and road can sometimes be

busy.

Adders may be found on site. If you find

an adder please record it but do not

approach or disturb it.

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Contains OS data © Crown Copyright and database right 2019

OS map © Crown Copyright. Durham County Council LA100049055

Contains OS data © Crown Copyright and database right 2018

Key habitats and features

Parking; start & end point

Survey route

Running water

Brownfield habitat

Hedgerow

Shaded woodland with deadwood

Wildflower-rich grassland

Bare ground

Stone feature

River shingle

Pond

Damp grassland

OS map © Crown Copyright. Durham County Council LA100049055