Forest Hills Connection || News and Life in Our DC Neighborhood
Covering Forest Hills, Van Ness, North Cleveland Park and Wakefield
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 […]
by Marlene Berlin Now that it’s warmer, live outdoor concerts are happening every night at the Linnean and Broad Branch streams. The spring peepers and American toads were chirping away last Wednesday evening. I spotted many toads mating at the Broad Branch but it was too dark to capture any photos. But on my way […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
