14 JANUARY 1989, Page 22

Taxonomy

Sir: P. J. Kavanagh's vivid description of the sudden arrival of a flock of mixed finches (Life and letters, 10 December) intrigued me; much the same has happened here (North Yorkshire) on a few occasions in winter. Could the two 'markedly diffe- rent' birds possibly be bramblings? The male bird has a black head in summer, but striped after moulting, and they have rosy throats like linnets.

Sarah Balme

Cockpit Hall, Kirbymoorside, Yorkshire