ABOUT
Chris R Bruce- Bird Photographer
I have been fortunate to have the pleasure of having a life filled with colourful plumage, birdsong, chirps, and squawks all around me. Growing up in Sydney’s Upper Northshore suburb of Normanhurst, waking up every day to the orchestral symphony of local birds. The first movement the laughter of the Kookaburras and then the more lyrical song of the Currawong accompanied by the Magpies and Wattle birds, always followed by the minuet chatter of the lorikeets and boisterous scherzo of the Cockatoos and the fourth is a rollicking finale of all the avian species, praising the start of a new day.
Spending holidays and weekends with my grandfather at his seaside home in Currarong, NSW, a tiny village on the Southern Coast of NSW, near Jervis Bay National Park. With its extraordinary powder-white sands, crystal clear waters, forests, woodlands and wetlands observed the birds of prey, songbirds and water birds that inhabit the local environment. From these beginnings my interest and love of birds grew. My father and my grandfather encouraged my interest in Ornithology, educating me on the various species that inhabit the area. I observed birds of prey, songbirds and water birds.
I spent many years living in Elvina Bay, Pittwater, NSW, located in Kur-ring-gai Chase National Park where I was surrounded by beautiful waterways, rocky cliffs, eucalypt Forests, scrub and mangroves as well as many significant Aboriginal sites. A place where ocean meets rainforest. Even though the house was on the mainland, Kur-ring-gai Chase National Park was directly behind the small settlement therefore, it is water access only. Without vehicles or streetlights, the wildlife was literally on the doorstep. I had regular daily visits from the local King Parrots, Sulphur Crested Cockatoos, Kookaburras and Lorikeets. Tawny Frogmouths would perch on the balcony at night and the Sea Eagles were often seen circling above during the day. The Lyre Bird was often spotted and heard amongst the soft fern rainforest area.
I am constantly travelling through New South Wales photographing birds from various regions including, The Central Coast, Mid North Coast and as far as the back of Bourke. I have spent a considerable time in a particular location, Cowra and the surrounding areas, where I have been fortunate enough to able to have access to a private property where Wedge Tailed Eagles nest and other various bird species can be observed.
Some of most memorable and rewarding opportunities to photograph birds has occurred, sometimes spontaneously, when property owners have invited me to visit and photograph the various species and specific nesting locations of birds on their properties.
Currently I am also part of team of volunteers for Birdlife Southern NSW working on their EagleCAM project which monitors/live streams a White Bellied Sea Eagle's nesting site located in the Newington Nature Reserve at Sydney Olympic Park. I provide my expertise to a very technically challenging but rewarding project as it brings so much pleasure to viewers from all around the world as well as its primary role of being a valuable resource for scientists and researchers of the White Bellied Sea Eagle.