The bane of pets and humans alike, fleas are hopping all over San Diego again as the summer progresses. This year is predicted to be worse than usual because of our greater-than-average precipitation last season, and because of the predicted …

The bright yellow or yellow-orange-and-black birds seen flitting among the palm trees, are summer residents of San Diego County's coastal areas. A century ago, orioles preferred to nest in sycamore trees, which were then more common in our area's river …

Typically one of the year's ten best showers, the Delta Aquarid Meteor Shower embellishes the dark, early-morning sky during July's final week. In the hour or two before dawn (no later than 4:30 a.m.) you should see about 10-20 meteors …

Elderberry, a common bush or small tree found from San Diego County's coastal canyons to the mountain slopes around Julian and Palomar, is in fruit this month. The branches carry myriads of tiny bluish fruits covered with a white powder. …

Ocean water temperaturesare either peaking late this month -- or are likely to peak in August -- as a result of many weeks of summer sunshine and warm coastal air temperatures. While the water offshore seldom exceeds 70 degrees Fahrenheit, …

Grunion will again be active on area beaches early this week (Tuesday through Friday, July 21-24), roughly during the hours of 10 p.m and 1 a.m., following the nocturnal high tide. The small, silvery grunion tend to spawn on wide, …

Check out the local tidepool life without hordes of other people around. Tuesday, July 21 features a minus 1.6-foot tide at 3:36 a.m. On Wednesday, July 22 there's a minus 1.6-foot tide at 4:17 a.m. Forget those ... but before …

Native Lilies, such as the Humboldt lily, are blooming this month in widely scattered locations throughout San Diego County's higher mountains. To find them take a walk on the Noble Canyon Trail in the Laguna Mountains, or explore the pine …

Birdwatchers need not despair now that the winter migrants are gone. Plenty of shore birds can be found on summer evenings in the natural coastal wetland areas of San Diego County. From south to north the publicly accessible coastal wetlands …

July is San Diego's Driest Month, according to precipitation data compiled since the year 1850. Only four hundredths of an inch of rain falls on average this month, compared to almost two inches in January, the wettest month. July also …

Grunion will be active on area beaches early next week (Tuesday through Friday, July 7-10), roughly during the hours of 10 p.m. and 1 a.m., following the nocturnal high tide. The small, silvery grunion tend to spawn on wide, gently …

The Heat of Summer will most likely reach its feverish peak in inland San Diego County during the month of July. (Coastal San Diego is different: since its weather is greatly affected by the slowly warming mass of ocean water …

July's Full Moon rises impressively from the east horizon on Monday, the 6th, very close to the time of sunset. Folk names for the July full moon include "hay moon," "wort moon," "moon of blood" (in reference to mosquitoes), "blessing …

Only two days short of full-moon phase, a waxing gibbous moon illuminates the evening sky after dusk on Independence Day, stealing just a bit of thunder from the fireworks displays. This and every July 4 (actually July 3 at 7 …