Forest Hills Connection || News and Life in Our DC Neighborhood
Covering Forest Hills, Van Ness, North Cleveland Park and Wakefield
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 […]
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. […]
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 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 […]
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 […]
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? […]
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 […]
by Marlene Berlin Many of us have been able to enjoy our yards, balconies and neighborhood walks these last couple of months without being pestered by mosquitoes. It’s been nice, but… Where are they? Ken Ferebee, a National Park Service ranger in Rock Creek Park, attributes their delay in harassing us to a dry May […]
by Marlene Berlin Something had caught the attention of the tree crew removing two dead oaks from my backyard. It was their lunch break, and Mark Reddinger, the arborist crew leader, was hunched over something. When he stood, I saw him holding a baby raccoon by the scruff of its neck. The crew found a […]
