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At the Broad Branch and Linnean streams, beauty in the cold

January 22, 2021 by FHC 6 Comments

by Marlene Berlin Many of us might prefer to see our local streams in their spring and summer blankets of green, or in the winter, blanketed in snow. But there is beauty to be found there even now. It’s been fairly mild, but in late December it was cold enough to see ice in the […]

Filed Under: Backyard Nature, Broad Branch, Local Wildlife, News

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Rock Creek is where life goes with the flow

January 21, 2021 by FHC 5 Comments

Text and photos by David Jonathan Cohen © 2021 Rock Creek is an enthralling local example of a global truth: Water is life. Creeks, streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans draw and host plants, insects, animals, amphibians, reptiles, and fish. Creatures swim in the water, walk its surface, and fly above it. Even the human species […]

Filed Under: Backyard Nature, News, Wildlife Photos

Backyard Nature: How do tiny chickadees survive the frigid cold? A boost in their brain power

December 30, 2020 by FHC 2 Comments

We often see chickadees at our feeders in the cold of winter, taking sunflower seeds and flying off with them. They somehow make it through the frigid temperatures. But how? This interesting article by Mike Wilpers, a member of Friends of Sligo Creek, explains their strategies – including a phenomenal memory that helps chickadees find […]

Filed Under: Backyard Nature, Local Wildlife

Some enjoy dining in. Others grab takeout. And some visitors end up as the main course. It’s just another day at the bird feeder.

December 23, 2020 by FHC 2 Comments

by Marjorie Rachlin Seeds, suet, action! There’s been a hungry clientele at my bird feeder, particularly since it got cold. During the winter, I can expect to see about 14 different species chowing down, and possibly a rare new one. To a bird, a feeder is a restaurant with a menu and varied seating arrangements. […]

Filed Under: Backyard Nature, Local Wildlife, News

Backyard Nature: When the plants think it’s spring

December 4, 2020 by FHC Leave a Comment

by Marlene Berlin The weather in November in many ways mimicked springtime temperature and rain patterns. According to The Washington Post’s Weather Gang, the average temperature last month was 4.7 degrees higher than normal. For six days in a row, the highs topped 70 degrees, and the temperature hit 65 on ten straight days. And […]

Filed Under: Backyard Nature, News, Wildlife Photos

Backyard Nature: Listen for the ‘fairy bell in the woods’

October 30, 2020 by FHC Leave a Comment

The next time you walk through or by a leaf-covered area such as tree boxes, yards and Rock Creek Park, stop for a moment and listen. If your ears are not encumbered by earbuds, you might hear a tinkling sound. It is the tinkling ground cricket, and you can listen to a sample here. Rachel […]

Filed Under: Backyard Nature, Local Wildlife, News

Backyard Nature: Fall bouquets

October 16, 2020 by FHC 4 Comments

by Marjorie Rachlin This bouquet of foxtail grass sits on my dining room table. I enjoy the grace of its arching stems and the green spear-like leaves setting them off. It brings back memories of my trips to England. When I vacationed there, I made it a point to visit small towns and seek out […]

Filed Under: Backyard Nature, News, Style

Backyard Nature: In the fall, strange plants called “beech drops” drop in

October 9, 2020 by FHC Leave a Comment

by Marlene Berlin In the fall, as acorns rain down on our heads and mushrooms abound, another rather strange plant pops up: the beech drop. This year, they are ubiquitous. Beech drops aren’t splashy and colorful so they tend to blend into the background, but once you know what to look for you’ll see them […]

Filed Under: Backyard Nature, DC Natives

Backyard Nature: Some delights of nature to look for as summer slides into fall

September 29, 2020 by FHC 9 Comments

by Marjorie Rachlin In September I make a trip to Rock Creek Park to see how the Chinese chestnut trees are doing. These trees were planted nearly a hundred years ago, after the chestnut blight had decimated our native chestnuts. As you can see from the photo, they have a bountiful crop of prickly chestnut […]

Filed Under: Backyard Nature, Local Wildlife, News

Backyard Nature: More wild and wonderful mushrooms

September 4, 2020 by FHC 6 Comments

by Marjorie Rachlin This is a great summer for mushrooms. A walk in the neighborhood or in the woods of Rock Creek will show you an amazing variety of shapes and colors. My recent article in Forest Hills Connection (“The wild and wonderful world of mushrooms”) sparked interest, and friends began to send me interesting […]

Filed Under: Backyard Nature, Local Wildlife, News, Rock Creek Park

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