NORTHERN CARDINAL AND RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER      

If you look up "GeoBirding," you won't find it in the dictionary.  It seems like an accurate term though, for combining the adventure of geocaching with the love of bird watching, and both are great ways to enjoy the outdoors.  While at a recent event, the subject of seeing numerous Bluebirds while geocaching came up, and jasjaq123, Sally, mentioned that she takes great pleasure in birding and often combines both hobbies.

First a little clarification.  Bird watching involves observing wild birds because they happen to be there, maybe at your feeder, on a walk, or while geocaching.  But birding is a bit more intense.  It's the act of seeking out and enjoying learning about these wild birds.  It typically involves using binoculars, taking photos, using apps or books to identify birds by sight and sound, and keeping a journal. 

OSPREY                                 WILLET

Birds are beautiful and colorful. They streak through the sky or sit atop a tree branch or on water's edge. These feathered friends all differ from one another.  They each have their unique behavior, appearance and sound.  Birds can't help but fascinate us.   So as outdoor adventurers, geocachers almost always see birds along a trail, and without realizing it, become at least novice bird watchers.  But there are those with more of a desire to learn about these winged wonders and enjoy birding, instead of just watching birds while geocaching. Sally is one of them.    

Sally started bird watching about 20 years ago when her daughter Jennifer, 5eschers, took up the hobby, however neither of them had much time to really delve into it.  But in 2012, Sally retired and was introduced to geocaching, which she fell in love with for the game components and the time outdoors.  That's when she returned to bird watching also, and found it easy to combine her two hobbies.  In 2015, when she moved to St. Louis from Kansas City, she really became an enthusiastic geocacher and involved birder. She gained much of her birding knowledge and gives credit to Diane Bricmont, who is a Naturalist, a birding teacher at St. Charles Community College, a volunteer for several birding organizations, a guide for local and Audubon bird walks, and her friend.  Sally owns several pairs of binoculars now, as well as a spotting scope.  She tries to keep a bird journal, and collects and reports data for the Cornell lab of Ornithology, eBird, and other major bird count organizations.  She's counted over 300 species since starting.  She belongs to the Audubon Society and Missouri Birding Society, and receives information from other groups.  She takes birding/caching trips occasionally, and just returned from Florida and the Gulf Coast where she and her daughter Jennifer added several new birds to their life list, as well as many caches of course. 

While 'geobirding' trips are certainly fun adventures, our own SLAGA territory offers amazing bird watching hot spots too.  They happen to be places where geocachers go anyway to hike and earn their smileys!  Here's a list of just a few: Babler State Park, Columbia Bottoms, Cuivre River, Forest Park, Hawn State Park, Horseshoe Lake, Meramec State Park, Powder Valley, Shaw Nature Reserve, August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area, Weldon Springs Conservation Area, Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge, Schulze Nature Preserve, and Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary.  There are even some geocaches placed with 'birding' themes in our area.  Others can certainly be designed, as well, to bring cachers to an area/habitat where local birds are likely to be seen, and the CO can recommend binoculars as an optional TOTT.  

Both geocaching and bird watching lure people outside, and outdoor activities have been reported to improve mood through exercise and socialization.  Bird watching and listening have also been attributed with reducing stress and mental fatigue. Birds help us connect to nature and are some of the best ambassadors from the natural world.  There are roughly 10,000 species spread across countless habitats on all seven continents.  With their varied voices, colors, plumage patterns, behaviors and antics, birds invite us to learn about them and the ecosystems they inhabit.  When asked about any favorite birds of hers, Sally said she "really enjoyed watching the Eastern Bluebird and the Ruby-throated Hummingbird locally."  She also mentioned that the rarest bird she'd ever seen was the Jabiru, a very large stork, on a trip to Costa Rica.  And as for birds she hopes to one day see, she said she's "excited about possibly seeing the Atlantic Puffin this May when [she] visits the Shetland Islands!"

Sally isn't the only SLAGA member that enjoys 'GeoBirding," so ask around if your interest is piqued, and think about caching with another that has some birding experience on a next outing.  Or maybe just consider looking UP from that GPS or phone once in a while when you're geocaching, and take time to enjoy the sights, sounds and peaceful feelings that wild birds and other wildlife bring to your life.