Birds are wild animals that are accessible to everyone, everywhere,” says Dan Weisz.
The Tucson native rediscovered his love of birding, or birdwatching, when he retired eleven years ago from a career as a public school administrator.
Exploring new or bygone pursuits in retirement reminds Weisz of being in college before declaring a major.
People can “audit” a hobby to see if they enjoy it, he says.
Photography and birding are complementary pastimes that clicked for him. In his 20s, he’d gone birding with a friend, but when that friend left town, between work and family, birding faded into the background.
“You can pursue birding casually or very intensely,” says Weisz, who adds he’s in the casual camp — he goes out birding only a couple of times a week and doesn’t keep lists of birds he’s spotted.
“What fulfills me is seeing interesting birds, whether I’ve seen them a thousand times or whether it’s a brand-new bird,” he says.
As a retired educator, he welcomes the occasional opportunity to share his birding knowledge. This is his fourth year leading a study group that begins in November, “Meet Your Winged Friends,” for the Tucson Chapter of Brandeis National Committee.
He’s pleased that the class, previously held virtually, will take place this year at Handmaker, giving its residents a chance to attend. His parents lived at Handmaker in their final years, he says, so it’s a chance to give back.
Also in November, Weisz will give a presentation for Hadassah Southern Arizona, “What Are Those Birds in My Backyard?” He gave a similar talk in April for the Northwest Tucson Jewish Community.
Weisz has given presentations for other groups, such as the Southern Arizona Hiking Club, Sabino Canyon Volunteer Naturalists, and the Tucson Audobon Society, whose bird walks helped him dip his toe into the hobby again. His photographs of birds and other subjects have been featured in local media and exhibited in local galleries. His bird photo emails, which combine pictures with brief stories, started with a few family and friends, but they have grown so popular he’ll soon convert them to a Substack blog.
“Birding is a way to connect with the natural world and too many of us these days live in a very urbanized environment,” says Weisz, who notes the surge of interest in “forest bathing,” especially during the recent pandemic, as a way of enhancing mental, emotional and physical health.
Hiking on Mt. Lemmon or in a nature preserve is a great way to see birds, but Weisz loves that the hobby can be done almost anywhere: through a kitchen window, on the front porch, or on the short walk to get the mail from the mailbox. He often notices birds while waiting at stoplights in his car.
Although early morning is prime time for birding since many birds are foraging for breakfast, dusk is another option, Weisz says, since birds also seek to fuel up before sleeping at night.
Dusk is also a good time to spot nocturnal birds, from the lesser nighthawk to the great horned owl.
One of Weisz’s favorite local birds to share with Jewish groups is the Gila woodpecker since the male of the species sports a red cap that looks like a yarmulke. Some also think its black and white striped plumage is reminiscent of a prayer shawl.
Weisz, like many Jews in Southern Arizona, feels a strong connection to Israel, especially during this past year. The son of immigrants from Austria and Hungary who had lived in Israel in the early 1930s and ’40s before moving to the U.S., Weisz still has family members in Israel. His cousin Naomi lives in Sderot, on the border with Gaza, but was in Germany with her family on Oct. 7, 2023, for the unveiling of a stumbling stone to honor her grandparents. Stumbling stones are small brass plaques placed in streets and sidewalks commemorating people who were killed or persecuted in the Holocaust. Naomi’s mother had been a child on the Kindertransport and escaped the Holocaust, but Naomi’s grandparents were not so fortunate. It is ironic, Weisz says, that a Holocaust remembrance may have saved his cousin’s life one year ago.
The Brandeis study group will be held on the first Wednesday of the month, from 2-3:15 p.m., November through April. Optional bird walks will be on the second Tuesday of the month, from 8-9:30 a.m. For more information, call Terrie Sherman at (520) 471-2474.
Weisz’s Hadassah presentation will be held Sunday, Nov. 3, from 12:30-2:30 p.m. at a private home. A buffet lunch is included. A $25 donation to Hadassah is required. To RSVP, contact Anne Lowe at (520) 481-3934 or loweflyingbooks@gmail.com.
