♪♪ >> Cathy: WE HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS, ACTUALLY.

BIRDCHICK IS BACK!

SHARON STITELER WITH HER STRANGE OWL IS BACK, SHE'S OUR FAVORITE BIRD EXPERT.

THIS WEEK, YES, WE'RE GOING TO TALK OWLS, AS AN IRRUPTION IN NORTHERN MINNESOTA HAS THOSE LITTLE BUGGERS COMING OUT IF DROVES.

ACTUALLY I THINK IT'S COOL THAT THEY'RE HERE.

>> IT'S SUPER EXCITING.

20 YEARS AGO THIS MONTH I GOT MY BIG BREAK BECAUSE WE HAD A CRAZY OWL IRRUPTION IF AND I TOOK NBC NIGHTLY NEWS OUT.

SO IT'S FOR ME T'S LIKE, WOW, THIS IS AMAZING, IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN >> Cathy: WHAT A WEIRD TERM, THOUGH, IRRUPTION, YOU WOULD THINK IT WOULD BE LIKE ERUPTION, LIKE MOUNT VESUVIUS.

>> AH, SCIENTISTS.

AND I THINK AT ONE POINT 20 YEARS AGO I CALLED IT AN INVASION AND LET ME TELL YOU, SOME OWL ORNITHOLOGISTS TOOK ME TO TASK ONLINE.

THE SPECIES ISN'T REGULARLY I'M GOINGRY LIKE SOME LIKE SWALLOWS BUT THEY SORT OF IRRUPT INTO THE STATE.

>> Eric: LET'S GO TO THE PHOTOGRAPHS.

SNOWY OWL IS UP FIRST.

>> Cathy: ARE THEY ACTUALLY HERE?

>> MSP, AT THE AIRPORT, CARGILL ROAD, THE AIRPLANE OBSERVATION AREA, FULL DISCLOSURE THIS IS A PICTURE OF A SNOWY OWL THAT I TOOK IN ALASKA IN A CEMETERY.

>> Cathy: REALLY PRETTY THOUGH.

>> THEY ARE PRETTY.

THIS IS A FEMALE SNOWY OWL, I TOOK THIS PICTURE AT THE AIRPORT AND YOU'RE GOING TO WATCH FOR THEM ON TOP OF THE BUILDINGS, WATCH FOR THEM ON THE GROUND.

IF THEY STAY AWAY FROM THE RUNWAYS THE AIRPORT LEAVES THEM ALONE.

IF THEY GET INTO TROUBLE THEN SOMETIMES THEY'LL WORK WITH LIKE THE RAPTOR CENTER TO TRAP AND RELOCATE THEM SAFELY.

>> Cathy: OKAY.

>> BUT, YEAH, GO TO THE AIRPLANE OBSERVATION AREA, LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WITH BINOCULARS AND WE ARE HAPPY TO TELL YOU WHERE THE SNOWY OWL IS BUT THERE'S AT LEAST FOUR HANGING OUT THERE RIGHT NOW.

>> Cathy: OH, THAT'S COOL.

AND WE SHOULD SAY THEY'RE COMING DOWN IN DROVES BECAUSE OF THEY'RE HUNGRY.

>> WELL, HE HAD THEY HAD A REALLY GOOD NESTING YEAR AND SO ALL THOSE YOUNG HAVE TO GO OUT AND FIND THEIR OWN TERRITORY AND FIND THEIR OWN FOOD AND SOME OF THEM WERE LIKE, HEY, I'M GOING TO GO DOWN INTO MINNESOTA AND WE ALWAYS HAVE AT LEAST ONE SNOWY THAT SHOWS UP AT THE AIRPORT BUT THIS YEAR ABOUT FORGAVE.

AND OTHER PARTS IN THE STATE, LIKE WE'VE SEEN A COUPLE AT JACKSON BOG.

>> Eric: HAVE YOU HOWN US GREAT GRAY YET?

>> THAT'S REALLY BIG UP ALONG THE NORTH SHORE, ZACHISM BOG.

GREAT GRAYS ARE OUR LARGEST OWL BASED ON LENGTH.

AND SO THEY'RE ALSO ACTIVE DURING THE DAY SO YOU CAN GO TO SAXON BOG, YOU CAN GO ALONG THE NORTH SHORE ALONG DULUTH, THEY'RE HANGING OUT THERE.

I WAS ACTUALLY LOOKING FOR A DIFFERENT SPECIES OF OWL ND RAN ACROSS QUITE A FEW GREAT GRAYS IN TWO HARBORS.

>> I ALMOST HIT ONE ON TWO HARBORS ON 61.

I FELT SO BAD, IT WAS LIKE A B52 COMING OVER THE HIGHWAY.

LIKE COME ON, HONEY, YOU GOT TO GET SOME AIR HERE.

>> YEAH, THEY'RE NOT USED TO CARS.

>> Cathy: OH.

>> MOST OF THESE BIRDS ARE NESTING IN AREAS WHERE THERE AREN'T ROADWAYS.

SO, AND THEY GET SO FOCUSED ON TFOOD, THEY'RE LIKE, WHAT, CAR, I'M SUPPOSED TO PAY ATTENTION TO THAT?

IT'S A GREAT TIME TO EE THEM, THOUGH.

>> Cathy: IS THAT WHY THEY'VE BEEN GETTING HIT.

>> THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW HIT, I REMEMBER DURING THE IRRUPTION OF ON, 04 AND 05, THERE WERE OVER 500 HIT.

AND THEY WERE BIG, THEY WERE FAT AND SASSY AND EATING A LOT OF VOLES.

>> BOREAL.

THAT IS THE MOST EXCITING OWL RIGHT NOW.

THIS IS ONE OF THE HARDEST OWLS TO SEE, WE DON'T ALWAYS FIND THEM IN MINNESOTA BUT I'VE HEARD SOME PEOPLE TRACKING UP THERE THAT THERE RE AT LEAST 30 HANGING OUT UP THERE.

THERE WAS A POINT IN TWO HARBORS WHERE THERE WAS SIX INDIVIDUAL BOREAL OWLS.

THEY'RE TINY, PEOPLE COME FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY TO TRY AND SEE THIS OWL.

IT'S A TINY OWL, HARD TO SEE, YOU'D HAVE TO GO TO ALASKA TYPICALLY SEE THIS OWL.

>> Eric: NORTHERN HAWK OWL.

>> THERE'S A FEW OF THOSE HANGING AROUND, THEY LIKE TO TEE UP ON TOP OF TREES, THERE'S ONE HANGING OUT IN ATE KIN COUNTY AS WELL AS THE NORTH SHORE.

THESE ARE ALL SPECIALTY WINTER OWLS.

>> Eric: HAVE YOU GOT AN IMPERSONATION OF THESE OWLS?

YOU SOMETIMES GIVE A LITTLE BIRD CALL.

>> MAYBE AFTER I'VE HAD SOME JAMESON.

[ LAUGHTER ] >> Eric: WE'RE NOT AT THAT STAGE YET.

>> I DON'T NORMALLY LIKE TO DO BIRD CALLS.

>> Cathy: IT'S OKAY, IT'S ALL RIGHT.

BUT I'M WONDERING HERE SOMEONE TOLD ME TO LEAVE THE OWLS ALONE, THEY FREAK OUT WHEN A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO SEE THEM.

>> YOU KNOW, PEOPLE PROJECT A LOT OF STUFF ON OWLS, I'M NOT GOING TO LIE LIKE SOME PEOPLE GET OBSESSED AND THEY WILL GET TOO CLOSE TO THEM AND THAT IS A PROBLEM.

BUT WE PUT A LOT OF OUR OWN ANXIETIES ON BIRDS THAT THEY'RE JUST NOT REALLY REGISTERING.

>> Eric: WEE BIT OF THE