Forest Hills Connection || News and Life in Our DC Neighborhood

Covering Forest Hills, Van Ness, North Cleveland Park and Wakefield

  • About Us
    • About Forest Hills Connection
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Donate & Subscribe
  • Classifieds
  • News
    • ANC 3F
    • Business
      • Business in Brief
      • Out to Eat
      • Shop & Eat Local
    • Getting Around
    • Main Street
    • Neighborhood in the News
    • Opinion
    • Parks and Streams
    • Real Estate
    • UDC
  • Style
    • Food
    • History
    • Meet the Neighbors
    • Neighbors Recommend
    • Services
    • Things To Do
  • Home Front
    • High-Rise Life
    • In the Garden
    • In the Kitchen
  • Backyard Nature
    • Local Wildlife
    • Wildlife Photos
  • Kids & Pets
    • At School
    • At Play
    • Kids Write
    • Pets
  • Calendar

Backyard Nature: What to look for when venturing into parks and backyards in April

April 13, 2021 by FHC 3 Comments

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 […]

Filed Under: Backyard Nature, DC Natives, Local Wildlife

Advertisement

A frog song for your Friday – and other life at the Broad Branch and Linnean streams

April 9, 2021 by FHC 1 Comment

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 […]

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

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

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: 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: 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

Rock Creek trail tales: Taking a stroll with some real turkeys; Quick work clearing a downed tree

July 3, 2020 by FHC 4 Comments

by Marlene Berlin The last thing I expected to see on my Rock Creek hike last Tuesday was two weird looking heads pop up above a guard rail alongside Broad Branch Road. I was crossing the road on my way to the Western Ridge Trail. They looked like birds, but with bald heads. Vultures, perhaps? […]

Filed Under: Local Wildlife, News, Rock Creek Park

Backyard Nature: Meeting the mallard family and sneaking up on frogs in Linnean Stream

June 26, 2020 by FHC 2 Comments

by Marlene Berlin Say hello to some of our newest neighbors. I had been seeing these two male mallards hanging out together, and wondered whether a family was nearby. I got my answer about a week ago, when I spotted Mom and Pop Mallard and the kids. They grow so fast. This is Mom and […]

Filed Under: Backyard Nature, Local Wildlife, News

Next Page »

About Forest Hills Connection

  • Who we are
  • How to advertise
  • How to donate
  • How to submit a story idea
  • Contact us
  • Tweets by foresthillsnews

    Subscribe to Our Blog

    Receive an email alert whenever we publish a new article.

    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Arrives in your inbox around mid-month.


    Newsletter Archive         

    Connect With Us!

    Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on TwitterFollow Us on RSS

    Local Links

    • Schools, Services and More
    • Restaurants

    Latest Comments

    • Mark Baughman on ANC 3F April 20 agenda: Connecticut Ave. bike lanes; Grants for public art additions and invasive species removal
    • Judith Falk on ANC 3F considers draft resolution supporting addition of Connecticut Ave. bike lanes and removal of reversible rush-hour lanes
    • Nicholas LARDY on ANC 3F April 20 agenda: Connecticut Ave. bike lanes; Grants for public art additions and invasive species removal
    • Ellen Sieminski on Backyard Nature: What to look for when venturing into parks and backyards in April
    • Adam Sieminski on Backyard Nature: What to look for when venturing into parks and backyards in April

    Archives

    About Forest Hills Connection | FHC + VNMS | Who We Are | Contributors
    Submissions Policy | Contact | Advertise | Donate
    © Forest Hills Connection | Site by: VanStudios