H.A.C. -Bird Study Traditional Geocache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size:  (regular)
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Bird Study
The cache is located at Squaw Creek Park. Please park at the given
parking cords, and don't try to get to this from the highway. This
cache is a short walk from the parking area. You will be looking
for a 30 cal. ammo can, with some trading items. Happy
caching!!!
Please write your experience in the log book, other that signing
and dating it only. That's what it's for.
Birds are among the most fascinating creatures on Earth. Many are
beautifully colored. Others are accomplished singers. Many of the
most important discoveries about birds and how they live have been
made by amateur birders. In pursuing this hobby, a Scout might
someday make a valuable contribution to our understanding of the
natural world.
Requirements for the merit badges:
1. Explain the need for bird study and why birds are useful
indicators of the quality of the environment.
2. Show that you are familiar with the terms used to describe birds
by sketching or tracing a perched bird and then labeling 15
different parts of the bird. Sketch or trace an extended wing and
label six types of wing feathers.
3. Demonstrate that you know how to properly use and care for
binoculars.
1. Explain what the specification numbers on the binoculars
mean.
2. Show how to adjust the eyepiece and how to focus for proper
viewing.
3. Show how to properly care for and clean the lenses.
4. Demonstrate that you know how to use a bird field guide. Show
your counselor that you are able to understand a range map by
locating in the book and pointing out the wintering range, the
breeding range, and/or the year-round range of one species of each
of the following types of birds:
1. seabird
2. plover
3. falcon or hawk
4. warbler or vireo
5. heron or egret
6. sparrow
7. nonnative bird (introduced to North America from a foreign
country since 1800)
5. Observe and be able to identify at least 20 species of wild
birds. Prepare a field notebook, making a separate entry for each
species, and record the following information from your field
observations and other references:
1. Note the date and time.
2. Note the location and habitat.
3. Describe the bird's main feeding habitat and list two types of
food that the bird is likely to eat.
4. Note whether the bird is a migrant or a summer, winter, or
year-round resident of your area.
6. Explain the function of a bird's song. Be able to identify five
of the 20 species in your field notebook by song or call alone. For
each of these five species, enter a description of the song or
call, and note the behavior of the bird making the sound. Note why
you think the bird was making the call or song that you
heard.
7. Do ONE of the following:
1. Go on a field trip with a local club or with others who are
knowledgeable about birds in your area.
1. Keep a list or fill out a checklist of all the birds your group
observed during the field trip.
2. Tell your counselor which birds your group saw and why some
species were common and some were present in small numbers.
3. Tell your counselor what makes the area you visited good for
finding birds.
2. By using a public library or contacting the National Audubon
Society, find the name and location of the Christmas Bird Count
nearest your home and obtain the results of a recent count.
1. Explain what kinds of information are collected during the
annual event.
2. Tell your counselor which species are most common, and explain
why these birds are abundant.
3. Tell your counselor which species are uncommon, and explain why
these were present in small numbers. If the number of birds of
these species is decreasing, explain why, and what, if anything,
could be done to reverse their decline.
8. Do ONE of the following. For the option you choose, describe
what birds you hope to attract, and why.
1. Build a bird feeder and put it in an appropriate place in your
yard or another location.
2. Build a birdbath and put it in an appropriate place.
3. Build a backyard sanctuary for birds by planting trees and
shrubs for food and cover.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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