by Marlene Berlin Marjorie Rachlin died on Sunday, August 22nd. She was 99 years old. Forest Hills Connection readers may know her best from her “Backyard Nature” articles. To her friends and neighbors, she was known throughout the years as a labor educator, community activist, and avid gardener and birder. She was also one of […]
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Backyard Nature: Insects produce the backyard symphony of August
by Marjorie Rachlin It’s 8 a.m., and I’m sitting on the back porch, looking out at the garden. No birds, no bees yet. It’s August and nature is slowing down. Suddenly a persistent buzz comes from the oak trees. In August and September, the sound filling the air is not bird song. This is when […]
Backyard Nature: Those microscopic oak mites are mighty annoying
by Marlene Berlin My husband thought he was being dive bombed by bugs that bit him at night. A friend feared they had bed bugs. My own mysterious bug bites left itchy welts that stuck around for days. For me, the mystery went unsolved until late July, when The Washington Post revealed what’s been biting […]
Backyard Nature: The creatures that put on a magical light show
by Marjorie Rachlin Your backyard or local park is the stage for a magical light show each summer night. It’s firefly time. And I’ve been sitting on my back porch after sunset, watching the lights go on and off. As it gets darker, the yellow flashes appear up in the trees, over the garden, and […]
Backyard Nature: I went down the rabbit hole on the rabbit-fox connection
by Marlene Berlin This spring, I was getting numerous reports of rabbit sightings, with some neighbors complaining that the visitors were nibbling on stuff they shouldn’t. And I had my own cotton-tailed visitor, but this one seemed to behave itself, attacking no plants other than my grass. But I have not seen my bunny lately. […]
Backyard Nature: Sure, they’re big. But these snakes aren’t so scary once you get to know them.
by Ken Sands Every spring in our region, snakes emerge from their hibernation dens looking for food and water and to mate. And while snakes are not abundant in Rock Creek Park, they are present in sufficient quantities to be spotted regularly by particularly lucky (or unlucky) hikers. According to the National Park Service website […]
Backyard Nature: Thirteen ways of looking at an eastern bluebird
by David Jonathan Cohen Text and photos © 2021 Ask me my favorite bird. The chances are good I’ll respond with a long pause. There are more than 10,000 species of birds! They offer a spectacular kaleidoscope of colors, songs, sizes, adaptations, and behaviors. On my short list of birds I’m always thrilled to see, […]
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Where are the multitudes of cicadas? They’re on the way.
by Marlene Berlin Depending on where you are in the neighborhood, you might have to take a long walk to see large numbers of Brood X cicadas. Or simply wait. Not many have come out in Forest Hills, or at least, not in numbers large enough to sate the many birds and other creatures who […]
Backyard Nature: Our bullfrog neighbors are quiet now. But just wait.
by Marlene Berlin One day in late April I stopped by the lily pond at the Tregaron Conservancy to see how the bullfrogs are doing. I found the frogs – each guarding a water plant, and one out of the water that appeared to be guarding the whole pond. It did not budge as I […]
Backyard Nature: What to look for when venturing into parks and backyards in April
by Marjorie Rachlin April is a month of changes. Plants and animals begin to wake up. We become optimistic. And as we move into late spring and the temperature swings level out, we see and hear more as more plants burst forth with pollen and seeds, insects pollinate and spread seeds, and animals mate and […]