Grunion on the Run
Grunion Runs are predicted to occur during the late evening hours (generally after 10pm and before 1am), following the nocturnal high tide, May 28 through 30. The small, silvery grunion tend to spawn on wide, gently sloping beaches such as …
May Tides, Merry Moon
Highest Tides this month, measuring +6.3 feet, occur on Wednesday, May 26 at 8:41pm, and also on Thursday, May 27 at 9:19pm. The lowest tides of the month, measuring -1.2 feet, occur on Thursday, May 27, at the inconvenient hour …
Rabbits, Rodents, and Blooming Flowers
Rabbit and Rodent population is peaking in the canyons and hillsides of coastal San Diego County. In many neighborhoods, car headlights illuminate the rear ends of scampering cottontail rabbits making raids on succulent garden vegetation. On the fringes of suburbia, …
Grunion Runs Under a Crescent Moon
Grunion Runs are predicted to occur during the late evening hours (generally after 10pm and before 1am), following the nocturnal high tide, May 14 through 16. The small, silvery grunion tend to spawn on wide, gently sloping beaches such as …
Wildflower Bloom
San Diego's Coastal Wildflower Bloom continues practically unabated this year owing to late-season rains in April. On north-facing slopes and in shady canyon bottoms, where the sun's drying effects have not yet taken hold, look for native red monkeyflower, blue-eyed …
Chamise, Buckwheat, and Wild Lilac
Chamise and Buckwheat, two of the most common native flowering plants in San Diego County's sage-scrub and chaparral plant communities, are in flower this month through June. Chamise, also known as greasewood, readily sprouts from root crowns after fire. Since …
Silk Oaks and Monkey-Flowers
The Silk Oak Tree, a fast-growing import from Australia, comes into short-lived glory this month. Golden flower clusters decorate the silvery-green branches, an effect that is particularly stunning when seen in contrast to the blue-blossoming jacaranda trees often planted nearby. …
The Grunion Are Running
Grunion Runs are predicted to occur during the late evening hours (generally after 10am and before 1am), following the nocturnal high tide, on April 29 though May 1. The small, silvery grunion tend to spawn on wide, gently sloping beaches …
Low Tides and a Green Grass Moon
The Moon, just shy of full phase, rises impressively from the east horizon on Tuesday, April 27 at around 7:05pm, some 20 minutes before the time of sunset. Some folk names for April full moons include "growing moon," "seed moon," …
Jacarandas, Locust Trees, and Bracken Ferns
Blue-Blossoming Jacarandas (the City of San Diego's official "street tree") have already produced a first wave of color all over the region. By early or mid-May, warm weather permitting, this Brazilian import could put on a dazzling show. The larger …
The Lyrid Meteor Shower
The Lyrid Meteor Shower peaks this year during the early-morning hours of April 22 and April 23, with the best conditions occurring after moonset and within the last hour or two before dawn (up to 5am). Usually the Lyrids produce …
Cottonwood Trees and Century Plants
Fremont Cottonwoods along the San Diego River in Mission Gorge will show off their best iridescent green foliage later this month. The Old Mission Dam parking area on Father Junipero Serra Trail, off Mission Gorge Road (west of Santee), is …
Star Jasmine, Black Oak, and Snakes
Star Jasmine's sweet perfume, exuded from clusters of small, white flowers, will continue to scent San Diego's spring breezes until sometime in June. Not a true jasmine, or Jasminum, star jasmine belongs to the genus Trachelospermum. In both public and …
Green to Gold
Less Rain, warmer temperatures, and hazier skies coincide with the subtle onset of San Diego's spring season. By April's end, the alternating periods of rainfall and crystal-clear skies we've been having will likely be distant memories. The nocturnal, low overcast …
The Coastal Wildflower Bloom
One of the best coastal wildflower blooms in years will continue through April. One of the best spots for viewing the greatest variety of flowers is Torrey Pines State Reserve. San Onofre State Beach, just north of Camp Pendleton, should …
Mercury & Painted Ladies
The Planet Mercury appears as a somewhat conspicuous "star" in the west at dusk on Saturday, April 3, but nowhere near as bright as Venus, which lies only three degrees to Mercury's left. For the next week or so, Mercury …
Mustard in Bloom
A nonnative plant more like a weed than a wildflower, mustard is blooming profusely on grassy slopes all along the coastline of San Diego County. An old story, probably apocryphal, tells of the padres scattering mustard seed along the El …
The Tides of March
Notable High Tides this month include a +5.4-foot tide at 7:47am on Saturday, March 27; a +5.4-foot tide at 8:36am on Sunday, March 28; and a +5.5-foot tide at 9:06pm also on Sunday, March 28. The lowest tides are -0.8 …
Yuccas and Citrus Blossoms
Yuccas of two varieties are in bloom in San Diego County from now through May. Year after year, the Mojave yucca (Yucca schidigera) sends up a blunt flower stalk of white, waxy blossoms from the same base -- a rosette …
The Vernal Equinox, Saturn, and the Big Dipper
The Vernal Equinox on Saturday, March 20 at 10:32am Pacific daylight time heralded the beginning of the spring season for Earth's northern hemisphere. At the instant of vernal equinox, the sun lied in the plane of Earth's equator. As a …