i still have yet to get used to the desert climate here in california. i remember the days being in the 80′s or 90′s in illinois and then you would be happy if it fell to the 70′s or 60′s at night. some nights it was still so miserable to sleep that it felt like the temperature never dropped at all.

california is different. it’s a desert essentially so it can be hot and dry during the day and cool wayyyy down at night. it was so chilly in my bedroom when i woke up this morning that a sheet and bedspread weren’t enough to warm me up!

as i’ve done the last few mornings, when i woke up i put on my bears pj bottoms and my los angeles sweat shirt and headed down to make coffee. this morning i added a couple of lumpia to the mix for breakfast and then headed out to the backyard.

we have this really comfy lawn chair that has a built in foot rest. i’ve spent entire afternoons in that chair with a book, a glass of wine and my ipod. it’s very peaceful.

our backyard is small with a few trees in it. between our house and the houses behind us is a hillside that has many trees planted as well as lots of brush. in the morning when i wake up, it’s usually for one of two reasons; michael’s clicking away on his blackberry or i’ve heard the birds wake up.

the birds are numerous in our backyard area. there are several hummingbirds, though one is dominant and very territorial. he chases all the other away from the feeder, though he’s generous enough to allow them to drink from the trees.

i don’t know birds…at all. i can point out hummingbirds in general and red breasted robins. oh, and if i saw a bald eagle, i’m sure i could point it out.

this morning while enjoying my coffee, i noticed a really beautiful black and yellow bird. it was flitting from tree to tree. a had a really hard time capturing a picture of it and the one pic that had the potential to be great has our plant hook right down the center. however, i did snap a couple of pics before he flitted away again. after researching on google. i was able to narrow it down to a ‘he’ and his species is a hooded oriole. his color is so striking against the green trees and blue skies so i hope i can get some pictures in the future!

after he flew away, i heard some noise above my head. when i went out into the grass to have a look, i spotted a bird which built a nest under the eave of our house just above the bathroom window. i thought i could hear chicks too but it may be too late in the year for them. i snapped its picture. i’m not sure what type of bird it is but after looking at several birds from orange county, it looks like a male house finch. i guess i need to research the species a bit more to see if the males stay home with the babies.

the hummingbirds appear to be either a rosy or a brownish color. i believe they are the species selasphorus sasin or allen’s hummingbird. the pictures i’ve found of this bird seem to vary greatly in appearance but the other indigenous hummingbird doesn’t look at all like my visitors.

all in all, it was a great way to start the day.