Tag Archives: forest hills cemetery

Lantern Festival at Forest Hills Cemetery

The Lantern Festival is an annual Jamaica Plain tradition that takes place at Forest Hills Cemetery. Attendees decorate lanterns in memory of loved ones. After lighting a small candle in the center, each lantern is placed on Hibiscus Pond. The prayers and well-wishes then swirl around the pond.

Lanterns on Hibiscus Pond
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Great Horned Owl at Forest Hills

I had been hearing reports of a nesting pair of great horned owls and two owlets at Forest Hills Cemetery. I went by the cemetery yesterday to see if I could find any of them.

I found one of the owls high up in a hemlock tree. Since I couldn’t see any feather tufts on its head, I suspect this is one of the juveniles, although its size is already intimidating.

Great horned owl resting on a hemlock branch
Great horned owl resting on a hemlock branch

Thanks to arbotopia for the tip.

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Forest Hills Cemetery on a Spring Day

Yesterday was the last in a long streak of sunny and dry days in Boston. I visited Forest Hills Cemetery to see what I could find.

I saw this eastern forktail damselfly resting on a reed at the edge of Lake Hibiscus. Damselflies rest with their wings closed or only slightly open. According to A Field Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Massachusetts, eastern forktails emerge early in the spring and are very common in this area.

Eastern Forktail Damselfly resting
Eastern Forktail Damselfly

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