WELCOME BACK ONE OF OUR FAVORITE REGULAR GUESTS, SHARON STITELER, KNOWN TO BIRDERS EVERYWHERE AS "BIRDCHICK," MOVED TO ALASKA FOR A "TEMPORARY" POST AT DENALI NATIONAL PARK THAT KEPT HER AWAY FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS.

HAPPY TO REPORT THAT SHARON HAS MOVED BACK TO MINNESOTA FULLTIME THIS SPRING AND IS HERE ONCE AGAIN TO SHARE HER BIRD WISDOM WITH US.

IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

>> IT'S GOOD TO BE SEEN.

I'M SO EXCITED TO BE BACK.

I HAVE JUST BEEN IKE CRASHING MY WINDOW EVERY MORNING, DRINKING COFFEE AND SOAKING IN THE SOUNDS OF ROBINS, CARDINALS, HOUSE FINCHES, IT'S A DELIGHT.

>> Eric: I'M GLAD YOU'RE HERE.

I WANT TO GET INTO BIRDING, I NEED ADVICE.

>> I CAN HELP YOU OUT, MY FRIEND.

>> Eric: GO FOR IT.

>> SO THERE ARE DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT YOU CAN JOIN HERE IN THE TWIN CITIES.

NOW, IF YOU WANT SOMETHING THAT'S A LITTLE MORE ADULT, THERE'S BIRDS AND BEERS, THE NEXT ONE'S HAPPENING ON APRIL 17th AT THE BLACK FOREST, AND IT'S FOR BIRDERS OF ALL ABILITIES.

YOU CAN GO AND ASK A QUESTION, YOU CAN FIND OUT WHERE TO GO, LIKE IF YOU'VE NEVER SEEN A BOBALINK, YOU CAN ASK THAT QUESTION, SOMEONE WILL TELL YOU.

IT HAPPENS ONCE A MONTH.

YEAH, YOU CAN COME, YOU CAN HAVE FOOD AT THE BLACK FOREST, YOU CAN HAVE A BEER, YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A BEER, YOU CAN HAVE A SODA, I HAVE WHISKEY.

BUT, YEAH, IT'S A GOOD TIME, GREAT WAY TO CONNECT WITH THE BIRDING COMMUNITY.

>> Cathy: YOU MENTIONED TO US OFF AIR THAT THE REASON THAT YOU REALLY ARE EXCITED ABOUT HEARING THE BIRDS SINGING HERE IS BECAUSE IN ALASKA IT WAS PRETTY DARN QUIET.

>> FOR SIX MONTHS, IT WAS DEAD SILENCE.

YOU KNOW, I LOVE THE PEACE IN NATURE, BUT PEACE IN NATURE, TO ME, IS CRICKETINGS -- CRICKETS, FROGS, BIRD SONGS, WATER BUBBLING, FROM SEPTEMBER TO APRIL, THERE'S NOTHING BECAUSE EVERYTHING HAS MIGRATED OUT OR IS HIBERNATING.

>> Cathy: LET'S TALK ABOUT MIGRATION.

>> YES!

>> Cathy: WHAT DO WE HAVE OUT THERE RIGHT NOW?

WHAT DO YOU SEE?

>> THINGS ARE MOVING IN, WOODCOCKS ARE STARTING TO COME IN, GREAT BLUE HERONS HAVE COME BACK TO THE ROOKERY IN NORTH MINNEAPOLIS.

>> Cathy: WHAT IS THIS?

>> WOODCOCK, I WENT OUT WITH MY FRIENDS LAST NIGHT, AND WE WATCHED THEM, THIS IS 15 MINUTES AFTER SUNSET THIS TIME OF YEAR, THEY START GOING PAINT, PAINT.

THEY DO THIS CRAZY TUMBLING DANCE IN THE AIR.

IT IS ONE OF THE BEST SPRING THINGS TO DO.

HIGHLAND PARK IS GREAT.

LEBANON HILLS.

CARVER PARK IS A GOOD SPOT.

YEAH.

ANY PLACE WHERE THERE'S WIDE-OPEN AREAS NEXT TO A WOODS, BECAUSE THEY LURK IN THE WOODS ALL DAY, THEY COME OUT IN THE EVENING, AND THEN THAT'S -- I DON'T KNOW WHY THE MALES ARE TUMBLING, I DON'T NO WHAT THE FEMALES ARE WATCHING FOR, THEY SIT IN JUDGMENT AS THE MALES DO THIS TUMBLING.

>> Eric: CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT ON BIRDING.

>> OH, THAT'S A WHOLE SEGMENT IN AND OF ITSELF.

>> Eric: YEAH.

GIVE ME THE ELEVATOR VERSION.

>> TIMING IS DIFFERENT.

FOOD IS GETTING PROBLEMATIC.

BUT, YEAH.

THE CHALLENGE THAT'S HAPPENING, WHAT I REALLY SAW IN ALASKA THAT'S HORRIFYING IS THAT INSECT HATCHES AREN'T HAPPENING AT THE TIME THAT THEY SHOULD OR THERE'S CHANGES IN THE SEA WATER, THERE'S MASSIVE SEA BIRD DIEOFF THAT'S HAPPENING UP IN ALASKA, WHICH IS A PROBLEM ON MANY LEVELS.

AND IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL IT HAPPENS HERE.

>> Cathy: OH, THAT IS -- NEU >> IT'S DEPRESSING.

>> Cathy: IT IS DEPRESSING.

OH, MY GOSH.

>> YEAH, YEAH.

>> Cathy: YOU MENTIONED, WE HAD A PICTURE THAT WAS UP THAT WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT.

WAS THAT THE HERON ROOKERY THAT WE SAW?

>> YES, YES, THE HERON ROOKERY.

I KNOW THEY'VE ALREADY HAD THE WELCOME BACK THE HERONS PROGRAM, YOU CAN GO TO MARSHALL TERRACE PARK AND SEE THAT.

WHAT'S REALLY INTERESTING TO NOTICE, SINCE I'VE COME BACK, IS THAT IT'S NOT JUST GRAY BLUE HERONS NOW, CORMORANTS HAVE MOVED INTO IT, ANOTHER COUPLE EEKS, GREAT EGRETS WILL MOVE INTO IT.

IT'S JUST THOSE REALLY COOL THING IN, YOU KNOW, URBAN MINNEAPOLIS THAT WE HAVE ALL THESE GREAT AQUATIC BIRDS.

>> Eric: MY SISTER, OUT OF BEAUTIFUL LAKE WACONIA, TOOK A PICTURE OF AN EAGLE AND SHE SAID THEY'RE KIND OF GETTING MORE PLENTIFUL.

>> YEAH.

>> Eric: ARE THEY MAKING A COMEBACK?

>> EAGLES HAVE MADE A GIGANTIC COMEBACK.

WHEN I WAS A KID YOU HARDLY SAW THEM AT ALL.

NOW THEY NEST NEAR THE 35W BRIDGE.

>> Eric: HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?

>> WE STOPPED SHOOTING THEM.

>> Cathy: THAT WAS A BIG ONE.

>> WE STOPPED USING D DT, EVERYWHERE OUTSIDE, THEY'VE HAD PROTECTIONS, AND WE JUST AREN'T POISONING THEIR FOOD SUPPLY, SO THEIR EGGS AREN'T TOO THIN ANYMORE.

>> Cathy: GOOD.

SAY, I WANT TO KNOW, YOU JUST HEARD ABOUT BIRD FLU.

IT IS OBVIOUSLY A PROBLEM THAT WILD BIRDS HAVE, RIGHT?

>> ESPECIALLY WATER BIRDS, YEAH, FOR SURE.

>> Cathy: SHOULD WE NOT BE FEEDING THE SONGBIRDS TO TRY TO KEEP THEM HEALTHY?

>> IT DOESN'T MATTER.

BECAUSE SINCE IT'S MOSTLY COMING FROM DUCKS, EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT FEEDING BIRDS, IF A DUCK IS FLYING OVER AND IT DEFECATES WHILE IT'S FLYING, THAT'S GOING TO GET IN YOUR YARD AND THE BIRDS ARE GOING TO GET IT ANYWAY.

IF YOU SEE A SICK BIRD AT YOUR BIRD FEEDER, ABSOLUTELY STOP FEEDING BIRDS.

YOU KNOW, THAT IS SOMETHING YOU SHOULD DO, TAKE YOUR FEEDER DOWN FOR A WEEK, CLEAN IT UNTIL THE BIRDS MOVE ON, THEN PUT IT BACK UP.

AND SICK BIRDS ARE OBVIOUS -- THIS IS A HEALTHY HOUSE NAINCH WE HAVE UP RIGHT NOW.

SEE HOW THE EYES ARE BRIGHT, IT'S LOOKING AROUND, ITS FEATHERS ARE KIND OF COMPRESSED, WHEN A BIRD IS SICK, IT'S PUFFED UP, THE EYES AREN'T OPEN RIGHT AWAY, YOU CAN GET CLOSE TO IT, THAT'S A SIGN TO TAKE YOUR FEEDERS DOWN FOR A WEEK, MAKE SURE YOU CLEAN THEM BEFORE YOU PUT THEM BACK UP.

>> Eric: COME BACK REAL SOON.

>> I WILL.

BECAUSE I'M A CRAZY BIRDING MACHINE.

I'M SO GLAD TO BE BACK, THANK YOU.