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The great escapes
PETER FROST asks who let the dogs out, and many other species as well
Minks, wallabies and grey squirrels are all escapees to the British countryside

WE HAD some great excitement among birders and twitchers a week or so ago when a pair of white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) were seen in Daventry Country Park. 

This is Britain’s biggest bird of prey with a wingspan of over eight feet. It is also known as the sea eagle, which made its presence in Daventry something of a mystery as the town is about as far from the sea as you can get in Britain.

Eventually, after some close examination of the pair and their leg rings, they were discovered to be escapees, probably from a bird of prey collection. 

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