Grunion Open Season, Crickets Chirping Signals Hot, Dry July

Grunion Open Season is happening again this week (evenings of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, July 3-6) roughly between the hours of 10 pm and 2 am, following the nocturnal high tide. The small, silvery fish tend to spawn on wide, gently sloping beaches such as Silver Strand, Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, La Jolla Shores, and Del Mar. California law allows the taking of grunion in summer (except in those areas classified as ecological preserves). A California fishing license is required for persons 16 years and older and south of Point Arguello, an Ocean Enhancement Validation is also required. Grunion may be taken by hand only. No holes may be dug in the beach to entrap them. Since last June, the daily bag and possession limit for grunion has been 30 fish.

The Chirping of Crickets tells us that the warmer weather of summer is 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, just west of Balboa Park between Front and Brant Streets. From the swaying bed of the 70-foot-high bridge, you can admire a canyon filled with green and gold grasses, and nasturtiums, plus eucalyptus, pepper, and palm trees. Sound effects begin by mid-afternoon.

July Is San Diego’s Driest Month, according to precipitation data compiled since the year 1850. On average, only four hundredths of an inch of rain falls this month, compared to almost two inches in January, the wettest month. July also marks the beginning of a new rainfall year, as defined by local meteorological convention.