Chris Davis, left of New England Falconry, helps Marcus Clatt, 6, of Connecticut work with an 18-year-old Harris hawk during a group session for home schooled students in Hadley on Thursday, May 10, 2018.
Chris Davis, left of New England Falconry, helps Marcus Clatt, 6, of Connecticut work with an 18-year-old Harris hawk during a group session for home schooled students in Hadley on Thursday, May 10, 2018. Credit: —GAZETTE STAFF / KEVIN GUTTING

Master falconer Chris Davis of New England Falconry gave a talk about raptors and, in particular, Harris’ hawks and the history of falconry to a group session with several home-schooled students and their parents gathered in a Hadley meadow on Thursday. Afterwards each of the participants got a couple of turns with close-up hands-on education as a trained Harris’ hawk – dubbed “95”, for the last two digits of his banding number –  flew back and forth from a nearby tree to alight on their gloved hand.