As the final rays of sunlight in the year 2014 faded into darkness, I watched my last raptor of 2014 - a Snowy Owl - scan the dunes at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge in Plum Island. This beautiful bird, bathed in the pink and purple light of sunset, provided a serene and fitting final moment on my year of birding. What a way to ring in the new year!

When I started the 14 Hawks 8 Owls project, I envisioned my last days of the year would be spent in a frenzy - searching in the cold for one last bird. Instead, I welcomed a relaxed final month of December, having picked up my 22nd bird just before Thanksgiving. During the final week of 2014, I hit up some of my favorite spots in search of a few last memorable encounters, relaxation and reflection. I spent some quality time with a trio of Rough-legged Hawks in Plum Island, getting unbelievable photo opportunities as these fabulous arctic hunters soared right over my position below. I also watched a beautiful juvenile Red-tailed Hawk allow for incredible close ups as it hunted voles at Mass Audubon’s Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary in Marshfield. And I explored the beauty of Western Massachusetts’ Honey Pot fields in Hadley and Quabbin Reservoir, seeing raptors both big and small in action. I spent six straight days watching hawks in clear, crisp Massachusetts weather on my year-end birding vacation.

It was a fitting, raptor-filled end to a year that surpassed all my expectations. I saw hundreds of birds across the state - raptors both tiny and massive, swift and secretive, fearsome and graceful. 10 lifers on the year. Birds both rare and flourishing, in every environment imaginable. With all the miles traveled, and all the photos of every bird, I haven’t grown tired of any of it - I still think that any moment spent watching a hawk is about as good as it gets.

On a personal level, I’ve never attempted something as big and ambitious as this project, and I have nothing but positive memories to show for the time and effort invested. I’ve always felt a connection to birds of prey ever since I was a kid, and this year kindled that spark into a full blown inferno. I’ve always thought that connecting with nature is beyond rewarding, and I hope that my photos and stories helped inspire readers to explore their own world and all the splendor in it.

After seeing every raptor in the state, I can also declare that I truly believe that these birds have super powers. The eye of the hawk, orders of magnitude sharper than ours, is a weapon of incredible beauty and precision. The eye of the owl sees all in the darkest of nights, revealing a whole other shift of life that bustles while we sleep. The speed and power of the wing still baffles me - raptors silently and effortlessly moving through the air defy belief. Raptors that migrate by sensing the magnetic field of the earth. Raptors that can detect the gases of decaying prey from miles out. Raptors that hunt by sensing invisible ultraviolet light. Raptors that hover and hang in the air. The list goes on. These perfectly-evolved and specialized predators continuously impress me.

Massachusetts proved to be a magical setting for my exploration. The diversity of environments and wildlife found here really surprised me. It was a true pleasure to familiarize myself with each corner of the state. It was also fascinating to observe how each of the four seasons in 2014 affected the raptors here. If nothing else, the thing I learned the most from observation is that there is really no such thing as bad conditions for raptors - I saw birds at sun-up, sunset, high noon, in the rain, in the most oppressive heat, and in the most desolate cold. And the same can be said for the surroundings - I found raptors continuously on my block in the center of the city of Cambridge… and I found birds in the most isolated, people-free settings that are left in Mass. That overall ‘anytime, anywhere’ impression is something that kept my head on a continuous swivel, and my eyes perpetually looking up. It was great fun knowing that once you stepped out your door, that any encounter could be just around the corner.

The completion of my project would not have been possible without the help and support I received from friends both new and old. I met some incredible birders this year, and absorbed immense amounts of knowledge just by talking birds with these great folks. And while I was blown away by all there is to learn about raptors, I was even more impressed with how willing everyone was to share their thoughts and energy. I will cherish these connections for a long time. I also had the privilege of interacting with an eager and excited community of friends and family who inspired me to stay on the project, even when things got sweaty, freezing, exhausting or frustrating. Your engagement drove me to continue capturing images that ignited my imagination, and I truly loved igniting yours in return. It was a pleasure to share every bird on the list. Some folks I especially wanted to recognize this year for their role in helping me achieve my goal:

Lizzie Crawford

Joanne Rusnica

The Janeski family, including the Buckley, Myers and O'Connor clans

Rich Bacher

Paul Roberts

Dan Lounsbury

Tim Arsenault

Fred Hosley

Phil Sorrentino

Kevin McGrath

Matt Chieffo

Chris Moriarty

The Eastern Mass Hawk Watch team

Mass Young Birders

Riff Raff Hawkwatch Group

…and you!

The response to my project has been overwhelming, and I’m exceedingly grateful for every moment that I spent with both the birds and the people I came across this year. I hope that I was able to express the inspiration and awe that this year brought me. I’m excited to see what 2015 will bring. Thank you for reading! Keep your eyes on the skies!

- BR