>> Eric: IT'S LATE JULY.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE LOCAL CARDINALS, FINCHES, AND HUMMINGBIRDS ARE UP TO?

ME EITHER.

BUT LUCKY FOR ALL OF US, WE HAVE AN EXPERT RIGHT HERE THAT CAN HELP US OUT.

SHARON STITELER IS BACK.

>> HEY!

>> Eric: KNOWN AS THE BIRDCHICK WORLDWIDE.

WELCOME BACK.

>> I AM SO HAPPY TO BE HERE.

>> Eric: NOW, LET'S GET RIGHT TO THE PHOTOS.

>> OKAY, YEAH, YEAH.

>> Eric: WE GOT TO START WITH THE CARDINALS WITH A BABY.

>> YES, SO THIS TIME OF YEAR THERE ARE A LOT OF CARDINALS COMING OUT AND THE YOUNG LOOK AN AWFUL LOT LIKE THE FEMALES AND ONE OF THE WAYS THAT YOU CAN TELL THEM APART IS THAT THE YOUNG BIRDS WILL HAVE A BLACK BEAK TYPICALLY.

AND THEN BEFORE THE FALL THEY'LL GO THROUGH MOLT SO YOU'LL GET SOME GOING THROUGH THAT GAWKY TEENAGE PHASE ESPECIALLY THE MALES BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO GET ALL RED AND SPOTTY.

THEN WE HAVE THE ZOMBIE CARDINAL ISSUE.

THIS IS A COMMON QUESTION I GET THIS TIME OF YEAR WHERE CARDINALS MOTEL IN A REALLY WEIRD WAY AND THEY LOSE ALL THE FEATHERS ON THEIR HEAD AND HAVE BLACK SKIN.

SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE A REVERSE TURKEY VULTURE.

I GET A LOT OF CALLS THAT WHAT IS HIS, IS THIS A MURDER PEEP IN MY BACKYARD?

>> Eric: THEY NEED HAIR CLUB FOR BIRDS.

>> IT WILL GROW BACK, IT'S JUST THEY DON'T LOOK AS PRETTY SO IT'S NOT YOUR DEAD BALD RELATIVE IN YOUR YARD JUST A REGULAR CARDINAL HAVING A ROUGH MOLT.

>> Eric: GOOD TO KNOW.

>> Cathy: I'M SURPRISED THERE ARE BABIES OUT THERE, SHOULD I BE?

>> NO, THERE ARE A LOT OF BIRDS LEAVING THE NEST RIGHT NOW AND GOLD FINCHES ARE JUST GETTING STARTED WITH THEIR NESTING IN JULY.

>> Cathy: WHAT?

THAT'S SO LATE.

>> THEY ARE LATE BUT THEY NEED ALL THE SEEDS THAT ARE COMING OUT LATE IN SUMMER.

THEY'RE PRIMARILY VEGETARIAN SO THEY DON'T NEED THE INSECTS QUITE LIKE OTHER BIRDS LIKE CARDINALS AND ROBINS DO SO THEY NEED SEEDS TO BE ABUNDANT FOR THEIR YOUNG AND TEND TO NEST VERY LOW, TEND TO NEST IN YOUNGER TREES.

BUT GOLD FINCHES ARE JUST BUILDING THEIR NESTS RIGHT NOW.

>> Cathy: YOU MENTIONED SEEDS, HANG ON, SEEDS.

I WONDER WITH ALL OF THE RAIN WE'VE HAD, DELUGE OF RAIN, IF THOSE WHO FEED THE BIRDS SHOULD CHANGE THEIR SEEDS?

>> YES, THAT IS, I AS ACTUALLY GOING TO BRING THAT UP, I WAS THINKING ABOUT THAT YESTERDAY WHEN I WAS WALKING PARTY.

>> YOUR DOG, PARTY PANTS.

>> YEAH.

ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE FEEDING SEEDS OUT OF THE SHELL IT CLUMPS AND GETS FUNGUS-Y REALLY FAST.

WE'VE HAD RAIN, RUN YOUR FINGER THROUGH THE FOOD PORTS, OR IF IT'S A TUBE SHAKE IT UP AND GET THAT SEED LOOSENED UP.

IF IT LOO LOOKS FUZZY, IF IT LOOKS MOIST IN THERE PUT IN FRESH SEED.

>> Eric: HOW ABOUT AIR QUALITY?

DOES IT AFFECT THE BIRDS AND MIGRATION ANY WAY?

>> Cathy: WE'RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SMOKE AND THE BIRDS.

>> I'M SURE IT DOES BUT THAT IS SCIENCE WE HAVE NOT CAUGHT UP TO YET.

WE WERE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT THE WILDLIFE REHABILITATION CENTER DURING THAT BAD AIR QUALITY DAY THEY WERE FINDING A LOT OF HUMMINGBIRDS NOT DOING WELL AND NEEDED TO RECOVER.

AND HUMMINGBIRDS, I WANTED TO POINT OUT THEIR NESTING IS COMING TO A CLOSE.

THEY MAKE THESE MAZING TINY LITTLE NESTS WITH SPIDER WEBS AND PEGGING IT WITH LIGHTLY LICHENS.

BUT THEIR YOUNG ARE GOING TO BE LEAVING THE NEST AND AUGUST IS ONE OF THE EST TIMES TO GET HUMMINGBIRDS AT YOUR FEEDERS.

IF YOU'VE BEEN BUMMED YOU HAVEN'T SEEN A LOT OF HUMMINGBIRDS THIS SUMMER MAKE SURE YOUR NECTAR IS FRESH, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S HOT CHANGE IT EVERY OTHER DAY.

RATIO IS FOUR WATER TO ONE PART SUGAR.

YOU CAN MAKE A PITCHER AND EVERY OTHER DAY RINSE OUT THE FEEDER AND PUT IN FRESH MIX.

>> Cathy: HOW BIG WOULD THOSE LITTLE BIRDS BE?

>> WHEN HUMMINGBIRDS LEAVE THE NEST THEY'RE THE SAME SIZE AS ADULTS.

THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY THE WEIGHT THEY'RE GOING TO BE AS AN ADULT.

ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THEY USE SPIDER WEBS IS BECAUSE THE NEST STRETCHES AS THE CHICKS GROW.

THE NEST STARTS SMALL AND THEN THE SPIDERWEBS MAKE IT NICE AND STRETCHY.

>> Cathy: I ALMOST HATE TO ASK THIS QUESTION.

WHO'S LEAVING RIGHT NEXT?

IS ANYBODY LEAVING?

>> SHORE BIRDS ARE MIGRATING THROUGH.

YEAH, ACTUALLY MIGRATION'S GOING TO KICK IN IN EARNEST DURING THE STATE FAIR.

I'LL BE AT THE ASK US ABOUT BIRDS BOOTH AND WE'RE ALWAYS THERE WITH OUR BINOCULARS AND GET A TON OF WARBLERS, WE'VE SEEN NIGHT HAWKS PASSING THROUGH DURING THE STATE FAIR.

RIGHT NOW IT'S SHORE BIRDS PRIMARILY BUT AROUND THE TIME OF THE STATE FAIR IT'S GOING TO GET SERIOUS.

DON'T WORRY IT, LASTS WELL INTO DECEMBER.

>> Cathy: ASK US ABOUT BIRDS BOOTH.

>> IN THE D.N.R.

BUILDING, RIGHT BY THE MINNESOTA ORNITHOLOGISTS UNION.

>> WE'RE GOING TO SEND TONS OF PEOPLE OVER THERE >> WE LOVE TO