March Madness
Posted by piedmontgardener in Native Wildlife, piedmont gardening on March 16, 2026
A gander showing off for his mate swimming behind him.
Perhaps you’ve noticed a bit of wildness in the March air? I sure have. From sweltering heat to threats of tornados to deep temperature plunges that blacken overenthusiastic blooms — and we’re only half done with the month. My local wildlife has also been affected by March madness. Have you heard the phrase, “mad as a March hare?” It was popularized in Alice in Wonderland, but the phrase is much older, referring to the wild antics of hare courtship displays in the month of March. The term most decidedly fits my local cottontail rabbits. Our cameras are capturing their mating displays nightly. Here’s an example:
The raccoons have been very active. They spend much time foraging along the edges of the creek, emerging soaking wet before they scamper off to their next appointment — like this one here:
They also are in mating mode, males chasing females, and chasing off competitors. Because this next video occurred without any vocalizations, my research suggests this is probably a male chasing a female. I have learned that when male raccoons fight, it is a loud and often bloody battle, which I don’t see here:
I don’t know if possum males are as violent, but I do know they are also busy pursuing females at the moment. That’s probably what was happening here:
I imagine it is advantageous to carry out these interactions as silently as possible, because the coyotes were also very active this past week, even boldly prowling up the hill beside our front deck in search of prey, so the cameras documented.
A camera also caught a nocturnal moment in which a beaver in the creek silently paces beside a bobcat, which does not appear to see the beaver as it prowls along the creek bank heading downstream. I suspect the beaver realized it had not been seen, because it did not produce a tail-slapping splash to encourage the predator to move faster.
The only non-predator the cameras caught this week that was not displaying mating behavior was the mostly white skunk that lives somewhere nearby. We know its mate was hit by a car last fall, and we have seen no evidence so far of a replacement.
Of course, now I’m having visions of a half dozen skunklets (technically called kits) frolicking in front of my cameras in the near future. Here’s hoping I’m wrong, and simply suffering from a touch of March madness.
Wildlife Camera Highlights
Posted by piedmontgardener in Conservation Corner, Native Wildlife, piedmont gardening on February 25, 2026
Snowy floodplain on February 2
Weather has been up and down the last few weeks here in central North Carolina. Deep cold kept nighttime temperatures well below freezing for more than two weeks. A moderate snow (about three inches) covered frozen ground and refused to leave for far longer than is normal in these parts. Through it all, our local wildlife neighbors continued to forage and feed.
With most of the snow gone but the creek still icy in spots, our big male otter was captured having a late-night snack. If you turn up the volume, you can hear him chewing enthusiastically.
As the weather finally began to warm, signs of spring slowly appeared. A red-shouldered hawk deemed it warm enough for an afternoon bath. A pair nests along the wetland every year about this time.
Ducks — both mallards and wood ducks — have appeared in increasing numbers, as have numerous vociferous Canada geese. Cameras are catching them swimming, vocalizing, and males are courting females, pausing only to argue among themselves. This mallard couple is feeding on green algae growing on the bottom of the creek. We’ve never seen it so abundant, and believe it is likely a result of winter drought and upstream excess nutrients from fertilizers deposited by lawn zealots being flushed into the water by runoff. At least the ducks seem to be enjoying it.
Just a few weeks after our river otter neighbors began to appear on cameras again, we have now documented our first beaver of the season. We knew they had to be around, because water levels have slowly begun to rise, despite the drought. In this video, you’ll see a coyote on the left side of the image rolling around in something stinky, probably otter musk, until it spots movement in the water to the far right. Watch as a beaver slowly cruises into view while the coyote tries to decide what to do about it. This video concludes as the beaver decides to encourage the coyote to depart with a resounding tail slap on the water.
That same night on the hill where a bird bath sits on the ground in front of a camera, the predominantly white skunk stopped by for a long drink.
The next night, one of the four raccoons that are very actively wandering around these days stopped at the same bird bath. Instead of drinking, it walked right through the bath, much as it does when dabbling in the mud of the creek.
A couple of nights later, a thirsty possum stopped by for a drink.
This bird bath is so popular, I am looking around for a larger one that I can partially bury into the ground, thereby making it tip-proof and also providing easier access to the water. I haven’t seen one I like yet.
If you turn up the volume on these last few videos, you’ll hear the two species of tree frogs already singing lustily in the wetland. I love it when the wildlife symphony moves into spring song mode. The barred owl couple calls to each other all day and night. Hawks scream out their love songs. Cardinals sing about their good looks (pretty-pretty-pretty) all day long, and the brightening yellow pine warblers have begun their spring warbling trills as our Eastern bluebirds burble to each other about the merits of their various nest box options.
Flowers? They finally began working their way up through frozen ground about two weeks ago. Just non-natives, so far, but it will never be a proper spring for me without being able to spot the first crocuses and snowdrops in February, and to inhale the intoxicating cinnamon-sweet fragrance of our Peggy Clarke flowering apricot (much beloved by honey bees on warmer afternoons). Daffodils are finally, finally deciding it’s safe to show their sunny heads. Soon many dozens will be dancing in March breezes. I’ll share some flower glamor shots soon.
Spring ephemeral wildflowers in my yard are still asleep. I scrutinize their spots every few days, but they seem to be waiting for confirmation that winter is done here.
I hope it is, but that we will be blessed with a slowly warming spring, rather than shooting straight into summer eighty-degree days. Fingers crossed…
Farewell winter!
Sunflowers: For You or the Pollinators?
Posted by piedmontgardener in Conservation Corner, Favorite Plants, Native Wildlife, piedmont gardening on February 6, 2026
Anyone who visits a farmer’s market flower stand — or even the ready-made bouquet section of a grocery store — will often see sunflowers included in the bouquets. At farmer’s markets, you’ll see them in buckets, ready to be added to the bouquet you build for yourself. Flower farmers grow a lot of sunflowers, because they are beautiful and popular, reliable sellers.
Sunflowers are still grown as crops for their seeds and oil. I once stood in a field in coastal North Carolina and all I could see in all directions were sunflowers several feet taller than me, all buzzing with bees, thereby ensuring good seed set in the crop. They are nothing less than spectacular when grown in vast numbers. A big park in a city near me plants thousands every year. They all bloom together in a display that draws many visitors who take selfies of themselves standing among the flowers.
As sunflowers have become more popular, horticulturalists have hybridized these plants. Now you can find sunflowers that only grow a few feet tall. Some produce big blooms on single stems, while others branch into multi-stemmed beauties with more numerous, smaller flowers. Colors are vastly more variable now too — everything from chocolate brown to deep maroons, to blends of autumnal-looking golds and oranges, to giant yellow sunflower suns.
Now that these flowers are so popular with bouquet-buyers, horticulturalists have also created a number of varieties of sunflower that do not produce pollen. Apparently, many folks didn’t like sunflower pollen falling onto their indoor furniture, so the hybridizers created many cultivars that are sterile, producing zero pollen. That’s great for your interior decor, I guess, but such flowers do not provide the ecosystem services that the pollen-producing varieties do. Sunflowers without pollen do not produce seeds, so the birds that adore these tasty morsels are left hungry. So are the bees — both native and honey — that avidly collect sunflower pollen to feed their young.
These goldfinches are eating basil seeds, but they also adore sunflowers seeds.
A quick perusal of my favorite seed catalogs showed that pollen-free varieties outnumber the fertile ones, unless you’re looking at an heirloom seed catalog. It can also be difficult sometimes to find where in the descriptions a variety is identified as pollen-free. If you don’t see in the description that a variety produces pollen, odds are it doesn’t. If that matters to you, as it does to me, you can’t let yourself become infatuated with the lovely photos and glowing descriptions.
Sunflowers that don’t produce pollen apparently last longer as cut flowers, likely because they are not expending energy making pollen. Supposedly, the new varieties are easier to grow, but, frankly, I don’t think there’s an easier annual flower to grow than a sunflower. Horticulturalists will tell you that sterile sunflowers still help pollinators, because they produce nectar, but when I accidentally grew a sterile variety one year, I never saw a single pollinator — not one — on the blooms.
Last summer’s vegetable garden adorned by ten-foot-tall sunflowers that attracted numerous pollinators all season and fed many happy goldfinches.
Let’s be clear here. I am not advocating never buying sterile sunflowers for your bouquets. But please consider that by doing so, you are encouraging flower farmers to grow varieties that don’t feed our native birds or pollinators. I do encourage you to only grow pollen-producing sunflowers if you want them in your landscape. You can always buy the sterile ones if you need an indoor arrangement and don’t want pollen deposited on your furniture.
A better solution for your landscape might be to eschew these annual sunflowers altogether, unless they are part of your vegetable garden, which is how I use them. Here in the southeastern US, we are blessed with many beautiful native perennial sunflower species. Incorporated into a sunny spot in your landscape, they will bloom and multiply while feeding an array of pollinators and birds. One of my favorite, easy-to-grow natives is Swamp Sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius). Once established, this beauty grows well in typical garden beds without additional water. Left to their own devices, mine grow as high as eight feet, so I prune them by fifty percent in early summer to reduce their height, thereby reducing the risk of having them fall over in heavy summer rains.
In their eagerness to produce the next “big-wow” plant for home landscapes, hybridizers often end up altering flowers in ways that reduce their attractiveness to native birds and pollinators. I wrote about that some years back here.
As you plan enhancements to your landscape for the upcoming growing season, please consider how every new plant will help nurture our native pollinators and other wildlife. As forests and fields continue to disappear, they need all the help we can give them.
A monarch butterfly enjoying nectar of native swamp sunflowers
Otter Excitement!
Posted by piedmontgardener in Native Wildlife, piedmont gardening on January 18, 2026
My wildlife neighbors were more active in front of our trail cameras this week, including one night when a (likely) male otter decided to leave the creek to explore adjacent terra firma. More on that in a moment, but first, here are a couple of other critter highlights.
A small metal bird bath that sits on the ground is a magnet for birds and mammals. We see deer and squirrels drinking from it regularly, and all the birds stop by, or so it seems. I’ve enhanced the bird bath’s attractiveness lately by occasionally putting out eaten apple cores. The skunk with mostly white fur was happy to nibble on one as you can see here.
On a different night, a large possum stopped by for a long drink. My area’s prolonged drought has been tough on the critters. I can’t blame them for not wanting to drink from the creek. First, it exposes them more to predators, and second, that water looks really gross and slimy these days.
The probable male otter was caught by two different cameras on one night. Males don’t hang with the females or young, which probably means the video of several that I posted a few weeks ago was a female adult with last season’s brood. She will likely send them packing soon, if she hasn’t already.
This week, the camera that usually catches otters caught the male first. He briefly scent-marks the creek bank in his usual area, then slides into the water and swims downstream out of sight.
I figured that was it, until I looked at the footage from the trail camera that overlooks the floodplain beside the creek. Just a few minutes after he disappeared in the footage above, the camera caught him heading away from the creek on dry land. One year, a pair walked all the way up the hill and rolled around on our front deck before heading back down the hill. We think this one probably climbed up the hill a ways before veering into the wetland that has expanded itself onto more of our floodplain area. But I am guessing. He may have traveled up the hill to hunt in my wildflower meadows, where voles and mice feed on abundant seeds still present on the cold-killed flower and grass stalks.
I did some quick research this afternoon and discovered that the wildlife biologists at NC State University study my state’s river otters regularly, partly because they are still trapped for the fur trade. In 2020, one group of scientists assessed the health of our state’s otters. From coast to piedmont to mountains, the populations are healthy. Pathogens are not creating issues, and more importantly, their tissue levels of heavy metals were not alarming. This is great news, because river otters are apex predators, meaning they are at the top of a food chain, ingesting whatever metals are ingested by their prey.
In 2023, wildlife biologists at NC State published another river otter study. This time, they examined what the otters were eating by looking at stomach contents of otters killed by trappers. They used DNA analysis and physical examination to try to capture diet diversity. They discovered that otter diets differ somewhat in the three regions. All mostly eat fish, mostly sunfish and largemouth bass, and amphibians like frogs and salamanders. All are big fans of crayfish too. Only otters from the piedmont region seem to be eating rodents. That could be due to either an insufficiency of their preferred aquatic foods or a bonanza of tasty rodents. Reading this factoid made me wonder if our land-roving otter seen above was craving a mouse for dinner.
My research also told me that folks like to call river otters wolves of the water, because, like wolves on land, they are the biggest predators lurking in our freshwater lakes, creeks, and rivers. I also learned that fishermen consider it a lucky omen to spot an otter while out angling on the water. It makes sense. Otters wouldn’t be hanging around if there were no fish, and the fish wouldn’t be there if the aquatic ecosystem wasn’t reasonably healthy.
Maybe being a wolf of the water means otters don’t fear coyotes. I do have a video from a few years ago of an otter chasing a curious coyote away from the water. It actually charged out of the creek to chase away the coyote. I am glad of this, because a coyote was sniffing all around the floodplain just two hours after the otter ambled by, as you can see here.
I know I feel lucky every time one of our cameras catches these graceful, efficient predators fishing or frolicking on the creek bank.
I felt lucky today, because my rain gauge recorded a whopping 0.65 of an inch of cold rain. As the rain departed and arctic air began descending on us, it briefly turned to snow showers before departing. As soon as the snow stopped, it melted away, but it was the first actual snow we’ve seen in a few years. I took a couple of shots from inside my warm house. I love the way the cardinals gather in the trees during snow events.
Stay warm, everyone!
Dead Mosquitoes = Dead Pollinators
Posted by piedmontgardener in Conservation Corner, Native Wildlife, piedmont gardening on January 14, 2026
Carpenter bees enjoying Spotted Beebalm
I enjoy my (relatively) mosquito-free winter months here in central North Carolina, I won’t deny it. Mostly tick-free, too (they can pop up during warmer winters). It is nice to know I can go outside and pull weeds, prune shrubs, or just walk around without having to spray insect repellent on my clothes first — a routine I diligently follow during warmer times.
I grew up in North Carolina, and mosquitoes were always part of summer. We managed. It was really not that big a deal. Now, however, many folks from other parts of the country and world have moved to my state, and many of those places (mostly due to the fact that those places have vastly drier climates) did not have mosquitoes like we do here. It’s not just mosquitoes, of course. Our wonderful climate encourages not only flourishing plants, but also all the insects and arachnids associated with them. And, I guess, because so many folks are disconnected from their natural environment, they expect, nay, they demand, that their outdoor living spaces be “pest-free.” On an annual Earth Day post I wrote way back in 2018, I went into more detail about this disconnect and its impacts on our native ecosystems, so I won’t repeat myself here.
Honeybees dive deeply into flowers like this native Anise Hyssop.
But I do want to update you on a new study (not the first by any means) that demonstrates the damage done to pollinators by companies that spray yards for “mosquito control.” The good folks at the Xerces Society report on this study here. The bottom line: not only do the pollinators in sprayed yards die, but also in those of neighboring yards, because pesticide sprays drift.
Thus, if some of you who have added pollinator gardens to your yards wonder why you just don’t see that many pollinators visiting your flowers, one of the big reasons is probably pesticide spraying in your neighborhood.
Syrphid fly on native October Skies aster
In the Xerces Society study report linked above, they include a link to a previous article they wrote about ways to control mosquitoes without pesticides. Here is the link, in case you missed it. Perhaps you can share that information at your next HOA meeting.
And for all of you seeking a moment of zen as events swirl ever-faster around us, I offer you this shot of today’s sunrise, taken from my back deck that overlooks a beaver-built wetland. As you contemplate it, imagine mallards quacking, geese honking, the nasal calls of white-breasted nuthatches, the squeaks of downy woodpeckers and brown-headed nuthatches, the low chattering of finches, and the melancholy (to my ear) song of white-throated sparrows all greeting another day in our bit of Piedmont paradise.
May peace be with us all.
Garden Resolutions
Posted by piedmontgardener in Native Wildlife, piedmont gardening on January 9, 2026
Native narrow-leaf mountain mint (Pycnanthemum tenuifolium) attracts an enormous diversity of pollinators.
It’s not too late to create your list of gardening resolutions for the new year. The Xerces Society (an outstanding nonprofit with a web site chock full of useful information) offers this excellent list of garden resolutions to enhance native flora and fauna on your patch of paradise. No matter the size of your garden, at least a few of these suggestions will suit your situation.
Here’s to a healthier planet in 2026 — one garden at a time!
Full Moon Activity Uptick
Posted by piedmontgardener in Favorite Plants, Native Wildlife, piedmont gardening on January 5, 2026
I am delighted to report that the prediction I made in my previous post proved true. This past week’s waxing and full moon, likely combined with somewhat warmer temperatures, appears to have been the invitation my local wild critters have been waiting for. I think, however, that another factor is also in play: river otters.
After a long absence from our cameras, we caught an early morning swim session among, we think, three of these captivating creatures. Wonder Spouse and I enjoy them for their athletic antics. Other native animals are captivated by their scent, which they deposit enthusiastically in areas along their usual routes to mark their territory. Read a really great description/explanation about this river otter behavior by one of my favorite naturalist bloggers here.
Even though our camera caught the otters for the first time on Dec. 30, I have a feeling they’ve been moving around and scent-marking again for a week or two. I base that on the behavior of the coyotes I showed you in the previous video. As you will read in the link above, otter scent-marking spots become communication hubs for many local animals, all summoned by the intoxicating (to them) musky scent of the river otters. We see the otters every year in this area, rolling and frolicking, swimming and fishing. On December 30, our camera caught them just at dawn. One big one is on the creek bank, but dives quckly into the water to join another otter at the entrance to a side channel that heads deeper into the property on the other side of the creek. We know there are several wide stretches of water there. We can hear mallards and geese regularly calling from that area. We suspect the river otters have a den near that patch of water. If you watch the video patiently to its end, you’ll see one otter appear from further downstream. It then turns into the side channel and swims out of sight, following the other otters. The light is not bright. You’ll have better luck seeing all the action on a larger computer screen, rather than a phone.
We’re pretty sure the otters have been out and about depositing scent for a while because of the change in coyote behavior that began two weeks ago. It continued last week. They stopped by almost every night to roll around and deposit their own scent in the same area. Here’s an example from December 28. Watch how the coyote’s tail begins to wag enthusiastically before it throws itself onto the ground for a good rollabout.
And, last but not least, check out the big male bobcat who slows down long enough to scent-mark a tree before heading downstream to the channel the otters swam into. I’m guessing he is well aware of the water-loving wildlife that frequents that backwater area. This is the first time we’ve seen a bobcat on camera since last spring. Exciting!
I recently celebrated another birthday, and these otter-instigated videos were the best present I could have asked for.
Spring’s coming. I see it in the blooming witchhazel and the swelling buds of many woody plants.
Now if we can just get some periodic and generous rain to fall…
Hamamelis vernalis ‘Amethyst’ (photo from a previous year) is just beginning to bloom this year.
A New Year
Posted by piedmontgardener in Native Wildlife, piedmont gardening on January 2, 2026
Happy New Year, everyone! The above shot was taken from our back deck yesterday morning. It was accompanied by mallards quacking loudly and Canada geese honking in reply while sparrows and finches twittered to the beat of woodpecker hammering. Yes, it was a great way to greet a new year, or any day, for that matter.
My area is in moderate drought. Water levels in the creek and wetland are low and slimy. Recent significant cold weather finally persuaded snakes and lizards to retire for a few weeks, but it is warming again now, and I spotted a hungry lizard basking in the sunshine on a rock wall just yesterday.
Deer hunters have been active over the holidays. I believe that season ended yesterday, so I expect to see more deer on the cameras again. The cold slowed nocturnal activity quite a bit, but I have here just a few videos from last week’s downloads for your enjoyment.
First up is a possum near the bird bath I keep on the ground. A holiday recipe required the juice and rind of an orange, and I decided to leave out the two halves by the bird bath to see who might enjoy it. The possum ate every bit of the pulp, but had no interest in the rind.
The mostly white skunk stopped by briefly just one night. It has not been on the cameras much lately.
In the ominously active category, the coyotes appeared on every camera at least once. I wish I could figure out where they live. They seem to consistently approach by following along the opposite side of the creek that borders our property from the end where our road crosses the creek. Then they cross the creek to our side and disperse across the wetland and up the hill beside our home. Sometimes the ring camera on our garage catches them. They cover a lot of ground.
In this final video, you see a smaller coyote and the big male I call Bubba. His shoulders are wide and I would not want to meet him in the dark — or anywhere for that matter. The smaller coyote is rolling in a scent that has enthralled it, much as our domestic canines behave. Bubba saunters over, takes a brief sniff, lifts his leg to deposit his scent atop the one fascinating the other coyote, and then heads back out for more hunting.
The moon will be full tomorrow. Traditionally, this one is called the Wolf Moon. I predict the next camera downloads will offer more interesting footage as hungry wildlife takes advantage of “warmer” temperatures and bright moonlight.
Meanwhile, I am cogitating on the upcoming growing season, which around here these days, generally starts by mid-February.
Best wishes to all for a green, productive, and peaceful new year.
Winter’s Sacred Space
Posted by piedmontgardener in piedmont gardening on December 21, 2025
Winter’s emptiness is not barrenness.
It is preparation.
Leafless branches framed against cold blue skies
signal an arboreal clearing of space.
Trees make room to embrace stars in deep black winter
while dreaming of manifesting future leaves and fruits.
All of Nature is in profound meditation,
creating a vibrant emptiness waiting to be filled anew as the seasonal cycle turns.
Now is the time for going within to create a sanctuary in the darkness,
a sacred space cleansed of all past pain,
a pulsating emptiness pregnant with promise and healing.
Darkness is not the enemy of light.
It is its opposite, the other side of a cosmic coin.
In this winter solstice moment, in your cleansed sanctuary,
dream in the future you choose by trusting this moment,
by trusting the unfolding,
by embracing this sacred darkness.
When solstice dawn’s sun appears,
rejoice in the light from a place of deeper understanding.
Light does not dispel darkness.
It illuminates it.
May the Winter Solstice sun shine brightly on your sacred darkness-created dreams.
May we bring forth together a balanced future where all flourish in harmony.
A New Article Published
Posted by piedmontgardener in Conservation Corner, piedmont gardening on December 15, 2025
The latest edition of the magazine of the North Carolina Botanical Garden (NCBG) recently hit member mailboxes. It features articles that explore the ways humans benefit from spending time/working with the natural world, with emphasis on the many programs offered by the Garden that facilitate that relationship. I was happy to oblige when asked to write a brief overview article, because this, of course, is one of my favorite subjects.
If you have anyone on your holiday gift list that loves native plants and/or the natural world, consider giving them a gift membership to the NCBG. Members get discounts on plants and items in their gift shop, and discounts on the many great classes offered year-round. The twice-yearly magazine is also a benefit of membership.
Happy Holidays to all!
Piedmont Gardener 