The calendar year closes with a new moon on Dec. 30, bringing 6-foot-plus morning tides. The last of the winter meteor showers, the Quadrantids, peaks on the night of January 2 and 3. Fog permitting, we may see around 40 an hour around midnight in the eastern sky, radiating or falling from the constellation Boötes, the herdsman. Unlike other showers, which are particles of comets, this shower originates from pieces of an asteroid. While most showers are named after the constellation where they appear, this was named after an astronomical tool, a quadrant, used to calculate star positions.
It is indeed winter with the return of salmon and northern elephant seals, though we await southbound gray whales. The seals continue their daily arrivals on Point Reyes, with several males staking claims on Drakes Beach and the first pup born in the main colony. The Drakes Beach viewing area is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. The Lifeboat Station and the overlook at Chimney Rock are open for viewing seals afterhours.
Rain continues to aid fish in the creeks. Typically, they enter as storm water rushes out, but sometimes they need additional flows to complete their journey. Scientists remain optimistic about the number of returning fish this year.