Can people be trained to be more observant?

I for one am terribly unobservant. I amaze myself by obvious things I notice about places only after visiting 3 or 4 times. I once took a trip with a bunch of birders who were able to spot birds in the distance that I could only make out with a pair of binoculars after being very specifically directed to the location.

Is power of observation something that people are born with? I have never seen a course for it. Our data dominated culture may not put much of a premium on the skill. I can get by dealing with computer programs, though I would never make it as an Indian scout or a naturalist.