By Ken Moore
Flora Columnist
I last walked on the Bolin Creek Trail in Chapel Hill in August, when I was excited to discover Polymnia uvedalia, bearsfoot, all along the woodland edges. Bearsfoot was well past peak flower when I described it in Flora on Aug. 6.
I was surprised to see it beginning to flower this past weekend when I revisited the trail after such a long absence. This year’s flowering is weeks earlier than last year.
With this advance notice, you’ll have ample time to enjoy it before it completes this year’s flowering cycle.
That was the first of many surprises I encountered during this past Sunday’s walk on the greenway along the creek.
Early on, I was overtaken by a friend who regularly jogs along the pathway. He stopped to alert me to “take a closer look†up ahead where the creek forms a couple of fish-filled pools frequently visited by one or more great blue herons. He further advised me to keep an eye open for the muskrat he had recently seen.
I found the pool, sure enough filled with minnows and a couple of perch-like fish big enough to eat. The heron took off as I advanced. But while I was kneeling down photographing elderberry fruit overhanging the pool, a muskrat, mouth full of vegetation, swam by paying no attention to me. Though it was too fast for me to change camera position, I’ve never had such a good look at a swimming muskrat.
More exciting than seeing that swimming rodent was discovering an unusual climbing milkweed vine beside the paved walkway. The only time I’ve ever seen it in the wild has been in the company of botanist friend Pete Schubert, who is keen about these uncommon vines and has a talent for spotting them. He’s shown me several populations north of Durham on the Penny’s Bend natural area.
This one is anglepod, Gonolobus suberosus, because its milkweed-like fruit is smooth and distinctly ridged, giving it an angle-like configuration. Though it won’t jump out at you like the bearsfoot, the maroon and greenish-yellow nickel-size flowers are worth discovering. The long, distinctly heart-shaped opposite leaves help you locate the vine. Those unusual little flowers made my day!
As I headed back, the high-pitched call of a red-tailed hawk startled me from high above. I wondered what it was trying to communicate from its urban-wilderness tree-top perch.
Following the commotion from the hawk, I heard shouts of “water moccasin†from members of a young family exploring in the creek. I hurriedly stepped inside the forest to join the group, hoping to interrupt possible harm to an innocent creekside inhabitant. Sure enough, a young banded water snake was surrounded by two adults and four eager children. Once assured that they were observing a harmless water snake, they were content to watch it continue on its way.
What a full-of-surprises, adventure-filled walk that was along the greenway. I must remember to return frequently.

Thanks for this post! I’m a regular on that stretch of trail and am always curious of what I’m seeing as I jog past.