June Bugs are emerging as summer's warmth is finally upon us. The green June beetle, only one of some 300 species of scarab beetles found in Southern California, flashes a metallic green underbelly as its buzzes about erratically. The mature …

Magnolia, the southern-U.S.-native commonly planted as a decorative street tree in many of San Diego's older neighborhoods, continues to bloom this month. Its grandiose description in some botanical books as the "queen of the flowering broadleaf evergreens," accurately gauges its …

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

The Latest Sunset of the year, 8:01 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time in San Diego, occurs tonight — Wednesday, June 29 — approximately one week after the summer solstice (our longest day). From now until late July there will be little …

Agaves, (a.k.a. century plants), are coming into bloom in many summer gardens this month. After a decade or more (not a century) of growth, the larger kinds of agave send up a tall, yellow-blossomed flower stalk from a base of …

Colorful foliage along San Diego's coastline lingers, despite the lack of rainfall and warmer, drier days. In the older, landscaped neighborhoods of Coronado, Point Loma, Pacific Beach, and La Jolla you'll find oleander and hibiscus blooming in many shades, and …

Cobbled shorelines are greeting some beachgoers early this summer season, as in past years. North County beaches tend to suffer most, as the natural sand replenishment in the area is disrupted by dams blocking the flow of sediment down the …

Summer Solstice, the time when the sun reaches its northernmost point in the sky, occurs this year at 10:16 a.m. on Tuesday, June 21. The summer solstice not only marks the beginning of summer for the Northern Hemisphere; it also …

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 seminatural scenery cut across the urban tapestry of San Diego. Try the Spruce Street …

Buckwheat, a late-bloomer among native plants in our region, is showing off its small, inconspicuous clusters of cream-colored flowers this month. Several kinds of buckwheat, found in dry, sunny locations throughout San Diego County, are the source of the "wild …

Grunion runs are predicted to occur during the late evening hours (generally after 10 p.m. and before 1 a.m.), following the nocturnal high tide, June 15 though June 18. The small, silvery grunion tend to spawn on wide, gently sloping …

June's Lowest Tides are for early risers only! Check out the local tidepool life without hordes of other people around. Wednesday, June 15 features a minus 1.5-foot tide at 3:51 a.m. Thursday, June 16 brings a minus 1.5-foot tide at …

Earliest sunrise this year, reckoned in Daylight Saving Time, occurs Monday, June 13 at 5:40 a.m. This event occurs about a week before the longest day of the year — the summer solstice — because of factors related to the …

Ocean temps are rising into the 60s this month, perhaps to reach the 70s in July or August. The early-summer cool weather along San Diego's coastline, disappointing to many tourists, is mostly caused by the sluggish warming of the ocean …

Elderberry, two species of which range over most of San Diego County, is in full bloom this month. The flat-topped, creamy-white blossoms of this large shrub or small tree can be seen in the natural coastal canyon areas such as …

Crape Myrtles are in bloom around San Diego this month through the end of summer. This smallish, vase-shaped tree blossoms in colors ranging from white or pale pink to lavender, red, and blue. "Lilac of the South" is one of …

The cool and intermittently overcast conditions likely to dominate the beach and coastal areas through the remainder of this month, mocks the already sizzling temperatures inland. If it weren't for the ocean's enormous resistance to changes in temperature, the hottest …

The Thin Waxing Crescent Moon makes its debut low in the western sky at dusk tonight (Friday, June 3). The two stars you might spot just lower left of the moon are Castor and Pollux, which represent the heads of …

Mule Deer by the dozens or more continue to roam through the 25,000-acre Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, where the smoldering landscape of October 2003 has given way to thriving shrubbery and some saplings of pine and oak amid the bleached …

Spring Wildflowers may have largely dried up in most areas of San Diego County, but in the cooler coastal enclaves such as Cabrillo National Monument and Torrey Pines State Reserve, several kinds remain. Look for paintbrush, purple nightshade, coreopsis, sea …