Quote kiwifergus: “And I think we have a memory of how we used to find things when we were younger, and as adults (or just “older people”) we don’t have the same perspective and ability to spot things. I think we “learn” how to filter our vision, so things that were easily spotted as children become part of the “background picture” as adults, even when we are actively looking!”
When I was a docent for some local nature Centers, I would take classrooms of kids on nature hikes. it was usually the little kids that spotted creatures; I relied on explaining plants and nests or animal markings (as I already knew where to look for the deer rubs, turret spiders, and woodrat nests). Kids really are observant.