Birds

Through our collaboration and friendship, I discovered something – I really liked watching birds. I am sure it is because of the way Lynn taught me to look at them, not as items on a checklist, but as fascinating individuals busy going about their lives. How a Cactus Wren cocked its head when eyeing a potential meal; the nervous wing flicking of Ruby-crowned Kinglets; the territorial displays of tiny Costa’s Hummingbirds; it was about observation and finding meaning in behavior. I learned the birders’ vernacular – LBJs are “little brown jobs,” meaning impossible look-alike sparrows and Butter Butts are Yellow-rumped Warblers – and that by convention, bird names are ALWAYS capitalized.

I bought a pair of bins – binoculars to the uninitiated – Bushnell 7x25s that were barely adequate, but helped get me closer to the action. Lynn and I began scheduling day trips to places like Madera Canyon and the San Pedro River. The more frustrating birding got, the more rewarding it became. Every new bird “learned” was a new friend, someone to get to know – what did they eat, where did they hang out, what distinguished them from a similar species. I “graduated” to better glasses – 8x42s – and began to bird “by ear.” I am sure many of us recognize more bird sounds than we might think – the chug-chug-chug of a car engine turning over (Cactus Wren), chi-ca-go-go (Gambel’s Quail), yip-yip-yip (Gila Woodpecker) or the sound of summer, who-cooks-for-you (White-winged Dove).

So, yes, I did graduate from birdwatcher to birder. Both as part of my job and just for fun, I have been fortunate over the years to bird some amazing places here in the states and abroad. Birding hasn’t become an obsession, except for a particular Russett-crowned Motmot in Mexico, but a comfortable companion.

And by the way, I still have those 1960s 7×35 binoculars.

They seek to find something they haven’t seen before.

Just as birders are finely tuned to their surroundings so too is the artist. Knowledge, patience, and a heightening of all of the senses is required for imaginative and informative discoveries in both fields. The parallels are uncanny.Tucson based photographer Dan Weisz bridges the two fields.

James Schaub: Dan – what is your background? What brought you to photography? What brought you to birds?

Dan Weisz: I grew up in Tucson and have always enjoyed the beauty of the desert: our sunsets, the big blue sky, the variable colors of the mountains, and the special beauty of all of the plants and living creatures around us. In my twenties, I met a friend who was a birder and he took me along with him on a number of birding adventures.  That got me started.

JS: So many times, when I see a photograph that grabs me, I imagine the photographer trekking to a super remote place to get the shot – to find the subject. Often times I am told it was taken in the backyard or just off the roadside. It doesn’t make the image less romantic for me – it just hammers the point home of how you need to be there to capture that image. It doesn’t matter where – you just need to be there. How do you get “There”? How do you determine what place to go, what place to be.

DW: As you say, “there” can be anywhere.  Some of my favorite photos came from my back or front porch or the neighborhood.  But there are many places to wander in Tucson and southern Arizona (and beyond).  I think that two ways to express this:  The old cliché “stop and smell the roses” is one way to think about finding the good and the interesting in the world around us.  Another old saying “Be here now” implies the same thing.  For me at least, I am generally not driven to go and “get” a photograph; I just go out hoping to see something that interests me.  Birding and photography are flexible – there is an art to each.  They encourage you to explore the world and help you to treasure each moment.

JS: Do you have any favorite places in and around Tucson and Southern Arizona? Any spots you return to over and over?

DW: You mean besides Tohono Chul?  There are a number of city, county and state  parks that I visit, and places like Sabino Canyon, Sweetwater Wetlands, Tucson Audubon’s Paton Center for Hummingbirds in Patagonia, Madera Canyon, and the agricultural areas north of Marana are just a few that I enjoy.  Also, if I see something special then I will return to a spot over and over again.  Right now I’ve been visiting several mid-town nests of Great Horned Owls every other day.  I begin that circuit every spring as breeding season begins.

JS: What make them special?

DW: Each one of those places attract a wide variety of birds, animals, and insects through the rich diversity of habitat at each site.  The flora and fauna varies depending on the time of year, so there is both the opportunity of seeing something seasonally “new” along with seeing “old friends” again.  And every place you go has its own characteristics and vibe.

JS: Once you are in the place. What is your sensory response to the stimuli you experience – what grabs you first?

DW: This goes back to “Be here now” or “stopping to smell the roses”.  Just be present and look around.  There may be sounds, smells, movement or something visual that grabs my attention.  Often, I’ll be looking for something particular but then get interrupted by something different but interesting that happens along.  It’s a matter of just wandering in an area and being conscious of the world around you.

JS: Are the places/habitats connected to a particular kind of bird? Is there a bird that you always wanted to see that finally appeared? Is there one that has proven elusive?

DW: Some birds need a very specific habitat.  Some are more of a generalist where they live.  So if you want to see ducks, you need to find some water.  If you want to see a Vermilion Flycatcher, find any local field or open space.  Southern Arizona is a unique place to find birds and people travel here from around the world for the opportunity to see our specialties.  The Sky Islands are a bridge between the northern tip of the Sierra Madres and the Rocky Mountains and, surrounded by different deserts, offer an incredible range of biological diversity.  Sometimes I’ll go looking for specific birds and hope to see them, but I don’t chase rarities.  I am more of a generalist and, like my children, I do not have any favorites!!  I can be surprised with the most common bird’s beauty or behaviors, so I am easy to please.

JS: Do you log the birds you see? – What goes into that?

DW: I do not usually create lists.  There are so many different birders and bird watchers.  Some people are actively listing the birds they see- lifetime, by year, by state, by location.  Others do not do that and just spend their time observing the birds.  Everyone finds what works for them and their own personality and goals.

JS: Talking before about bridging the fields of  avid Birding and making Art – how do you feel they run parallel – or are they closer than I thought? Do they intersect? Both rely on observation and reaction.

DW: Mother Nature is the original artist and the incredible amount of beauty she provides is overwhelming.  In birding, you are out in nature and encouraged to explore the world around you. That may just be looking out your kitchen window, or it may entail going on a trek.  Wherever you are the complexity and beauty of nature is never-ending.  When I retired I decided to try doing more birding and I thought I’d pursue my interest in photography.  As I began to capture beauty through my photographs, it caused me to become even more interested in what I was seeing.  It is both instinctual- I know when I see something interesting or something that looks beautiful.  And being able to capture that sense of beauty is the challenge of photography.

JS: Does the image work for you as “document” or as “art”? Can they work together, can they be one and the same?

DW: I’m not sure I think of it either way or perhaps the image works as both together.  For me, I enjoy seeing if what I captured with my camera helps to elicit the wonder I saw in the field.  At times, it reveals details and nuances that I missed at the time in the field but the camera captured the “in the moment”.

JS: What kind of gear do you work with – binoculars – camera – computer ?

DW: My camera is with me always. I have a Nikon D500 and the lens I use most often in the field is a zoom lens, 70-300mm.  I use a bigger zoom at times and smaller lenses as well depending on the situation.  I often will carry binoculars.  When I get home I will process the photographs using Lightroom, a popular Adobe application.

JS: How much of the image do you do “in camera”? How much in an editing program? Which one do you use?

DW: I learn very slowly, but the ideal is to compose the picture before you take it.  I hope I am getting better at it.  I try to be aware of where the subject is, what the lighting is and where it is coming from, what the background is and what type of behavior I want to see or want to wait to capture.  If I do all of these well, and have the proper camera settings and even focus on the subject well, then most of the work is done.  When I get home I will process the photographs using the application Lightroom.  I once had a friend derisively dismiss one of my photos because she was sure a bird couldn’t look “that pretty”.  She “accused” me of Photoshopping it.  My response was that I did nothing more than I did to myself every morning before leaving home.  Washing my face, brushing my hair, shaving and putting on a smile didn’t change who I am. It just brings out my natural self.  That’s what is done in editing a photo- bringing out the best of what you already captured when you took the photo.

JS: Does the camera ever get in the way – or is it part of you?

DW: I am now more comfortable with myself as a photographer so the camera has become a more natural part of me.  But it can always get in the way.  I’m only human you know. Sometimes I just bird and photography is not my goal. And there are times when I am only interested in watching the bird (or I know it is a situation where I could take any decent photo).  But if I have my camera, I am always ready to shoot what I may find along the way.

JS: Long before we started to work with you , your name would come up almost on a weekly basis. Our wonderful docents and volunteers were not only privy to images, and your notes  about them – they knew your personally as a thoughtful guy with a keen eye and a camera, intensely interested in finding that unique subject, and sharing your thoughts on the experience of getting “there”,  being “there”, and being in the moment.

Can you share the process and the vehicle of posting your photography online? How did you start doing it? Who do you reach – what is the response and how do you respond to it?

DW: When I first began taking pictures after retirement I began sharing them with my family.  That was fun.  But I found that my family wasn’t quite as enamored of birds and nature as I was, so I began adding commentary to my photos in order to help to grab their attention.  As time went on, I added friends and acquaintances to my photo email list and it continued to grow and grow.  I know that many of the people on my list enjoy my work so much that they forward it to their friends and family. That brings me very much pleasure.  Those ‘ripples in the pond” as people pass my photos on are a wonderful affirmation that my photos speak to people.  I continue to develop both my photography skills and my storytelling skills as I strive to make what I share more attractive to my ‘audience’.  In addition, I post photos on social media and several Facebook pages, in a flickr account, and on our neighborhood HOA webpage which I share with a large region of the city through Nextdoor.  I am grateful that Tucson Audubon has used my photos in their media as has the Sierra Club through their Daily Ray of Hope.  Tohono Chul used one of my Screech Owlet photos for their guides last year and having photos as part of two different recent exhibits in the Main Gallery of Tohono Chul was very exciting.

JS: Where can we see more of your work?

DW: My photos are available in my flickr site at:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/122902197@N03/albums

and

My BirdsoftheDesert site on Etsy is at https://www.etsy.com/shop/birdsofthedesert

My HOA wildlife page, with many of the photo emails is at http://wildlife.foothillsclusters.com

I can be reached at dan@Weisz.org

JS: Dan, is there a birder’s bucket list? Do you have one?

DW: I went to a lecture by a renowned photographer once.  He said that one of the questions he is asked wherever he speaks is “How many lenses do you need?”  And he said the answer is “Just one more”.  Each birder and each photographer has a list, formal or informal, of the “one more” bird or photograph he or she wishes to capture.  That’s part of what keeps us going.

JS: So true. Thank you so much for your time and expertise Dan. I look forward to working with you on future projects here at Tohono Chul.

DW: You’re welcome and thanks James!!  Tell me what bird you see out your office window.  What does it look like and what is it doing?

JS: Well, I think it is the same Cooper’s hawk that flew over me when I pulled in this morning. Right now he is up high in that big mesquite tree outside the Exhibit House – just waiting for things to move. Like all of us, I guess.

DAN WEISZ biography

“I am a native Tucsonan who grew up in a house west of Alvernon, near Speedway when Speedway was unpaved east of Country Club. I remember playing with lizards and ants in the yard and building forts made of tumbleweeds. To me, Tucson has always been the sounds of doves waking me in the morning, the smell of a summer rain, the mountains and desert, the beauty of our sunsets and the equally mesmerizing sight of our fleeting sunrises. I love Tucson for its rich diversity of people, cultures, and traditions.

After a career in Public Education, I retired and am able to spend more time outdoors. I took up photography and I now volunteer at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum with their renowned Raptor Free Flight program, both as a narrator and as a bird handler.

The Sierra Club’s “Daily Ray of Hope” has featured numerous images of mine on their e-newsletter and social networks. Tucson Audubon Society has used my work and images in their web blog, in the Vermilion Flycatcher newsletter and for various communications including print, e-mail newsletters and social networks. I have images on permanent display at Agua Caliente Park’s Ranch House and at the Paton Center for Hummingbirds in Patagonia.”

Dan Weisz has been featured in the TOHONO CHUL exhibitions Día De Los Muertos (2019) and ON THE DESERT | the Discovery and Invention of Color (2020)