Baby Bird Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

offline.cacher: This cache has been disabled far too long now. When the Nature Preserve is repaired, they can be unarchived.

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Hidden : 8/10/2008
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
2.5 out of 5

Size: Size: small (small)

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Geocache Description:

Warning!! Sad Story!!!

On our hike we came across a small bird sitting on a small branch in the middle of the trail. We stopped and watched it for a few minutes, and decide it was still a baby. You could see it still had mainly downy fluff for feathers, although it's wing feathers looked like real feathers. We watched it, it watched us. We moved in a little closer and it did not move at all. Perhaps it thought if it stayed still enough we would not see it, because it did not even try to edge away from us. That's when we knew for sure it was a baby that was not ready to leave the nest, but for some reason here it was- out of the nest. Then we noticed that there was a bird who seemed to be fussing at us. We believe this was the Mama bird. Knowing there was probably nothing she could do, we moved on, in case she wanted to try. As we walked past the baby bird on the trail, we could have reached out and touched it (but did NOT), we were that close.

Mr. and Mrs. Greykitties knew the ending to this story, and tried to gently let Little Greykitties know. We decided that the next cache we placed would be in honor of this baby bird.

BTW- when we retuned down the trail about 45 minutes later, the
baby bird was still sitting in the exact same place and the Mama was still fussing. At least he will be forever remembered by this cache.



PLEASE WEAR BLAZE ORANGE during hunting season. No hunting is supposed to occur on the preserve, but you should protect yourself anyway.

The preserve is open from sun up to sun down. PLEASE ALLOW YOURSELF ENOUGH TIME TO HIKE OUT BEFORE SUN DOWN. It could take up to an hour to hike out from the far end.

This cache is part of the Voorhees Nature Preserve cache series. This is a very nice Preserve located in Westmoreland County. The area is relativly flat except for one big hill at the begenning/end of the trail. If you go to the Westmoreland Berry Farm store you can get a map of the trail as well as a Topo map of the area. Just go to the counter and say you want to go to Voorhees.

The Nature Conservancy has generously allowed us exclusive permission to place these caches. They are all located just off the trail. TNC requests that you stick to the trails while in the Preserve. They work to keep the trails well marked and clear so that you can keep to them and not trample the forest.


Additional information provided by the Nature Conservancy:

Preserve Visitation Guidelines Nature Conservancy preserves are private properties. They are managed to protect fragile resources--native species and plant communities. You will find few facilities. The trails we do maintain or create are designed to steer visitors away from the most fragile portions of the preserve and toward those areas that can handle more use. Still, we ask you to tread lightly.

Many of the state's preserves are open to visitors, but only for low-impact recreational activities (see list below). Those preserves harboring species or natural communities at risk, however, are not open to the public.

Preparation: the Key to a Safe, Enjoyable Visit We ask you to prepare for your visit and take proper precautions while on site.
* Wear comfortable footwear suitable for hiking, but please do not wear heavy, cleated boots - these damage the trails.
* To protect yourself from ticks, poison ivy or poison sumac, wear long pants - and tuck them into your socks.
* No matter which season of the year it is, each person in your party should bring a full water bottle. Dehydration is a serious risk at any time of the year.

Preparation: What to Bring To get the most from your visit, and to protect yourself from the elements, you may want to include the following items in your backpack:
* Binoculars
* Camera
* Compass
* Field guides (to wildflowers, birds, butterflies and other natural features) * Insect repellant
* Rain gear
* Snack (fruit or trail mix)
* Sunscreen

What You Can Do The following activities are permitted on Conservancy preserves:
* Birdwatching
* Hiking
* Nature Study * Photography
* Boating (in some cases)

What You Cannot Do The following activities are not permitted on Conservancy preserves:
* Biking
* Camping
* Caving
* Driving an ATV or off-road vehicle
* Cooking or camp fires
* Fishing or trapping
* Horseback riding
* Hunting
* Littering
* Pets
* Picking flowers, berries, nuts or mushrooms
* Removing any part of the natural landscape (shells, rocks, etc.)
* Rock climbing
* Swimming

Respect Our Neighbors' Property Please do not trespass on private property adjacent to Conservancy preserves. Property lines are clearly marked with small yellow signs featuring the Conservancy's logo.

Contact Us For more information, please contact our State Office:
490 Westfield Road
Charlottesville, VA 22901
(434) 295-6106
open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday
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Additional Hints (Decrypt)

jurer qvq gur onol oveq orybat? Va n gerr!

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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