Spruce Street suspension footbridge

The Chirping of Crickets tells us the warmer weather of summer is well on its way. Their plaintive pleadings for mates are heard wherever bits of semi-natural scenery cut across the urban tapestry of San Diego. Try the Spruce Street suspension footbridge, west of Balboa Park between Front and Brant Streets. From the swaying deck of the 70-foot-high bridge you can admire a canyon filled with green and gold grasses, nasturtiums, and eucalyptus, pepper, and palm trees. Sound effects begin by mid-afternoon.

Elderberry blossoms can be seen in Tecolote Canyon and Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve.

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Elderberry, two species of which range over most of San Diego County, is in full bloom this month. The flat-topped, creamywhite blossoms of this large shrub or small tree can be seen in the natural coastal canyon areas such as Tecolote Canyon and Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve, as well as in the more moist areas of the foothills and mountains. The elderberry’s tiny fruits, which ripen in late summer, have traditionally been used for various drinks and preserves.

June’s Lowest Tides are for early risers only! Check out the local tidepool life without hordes of other people around. Tuesday, June 14 features a minus 1.76-foot tide at 4:08 am. Wednesday, June 15, brings a minus 1.89-foot tide at 4:57 am. Well before work on Thursday, June 16, catch the minus 1.77-foot tide at 5:48 am.

Grunion run on wide, gently sloping beaches such as Silver Strand, Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, La Jolla Shores, and Del Mar.

Grunion Runs are predicted to occur during the late evening hours (generally after 10 pm and before 1 am), following the nocturnal high tide Monday and Tuesday, June 14 and June 15. The small, silvery grunion tend to spawn on wide, gently sloping beaches such as Silver Strand, Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, La Jolla Shores, and Del Mar. Open season for grunion starts in June, and from then until the end of summer the fish can be collected in reasonable numbers using the hands only (fishing licence needed for persons 16 years of age and older). For more information, visit wildlife.ca.gov

The above comes from the Outdoors listings in the Reader compiled by Jerry Schad, author of Afoot & Afield in San Diego County. Schad died in 2011. Planet information from SkyandTelescope.org.