>The white auricular patch is part of the kicker. I saw it
>again yesterday, and the bill is two-tone, with the
>lower mandible being noticably lighter in color than
>the upper. Perhaps this is further evidence of my
>speculation that it is a Fox sparrow hybrid of some
>sort. I will try again for photos tommorrow.


With a two-tone bill, it has to be (at least partially) Fox Sparrow. Whenever there's a bird with strange WHITE markings, you
should also consider partial albinism. A small genetic hiccup could account for the loss of pigment in those areas.

== Michael Hobbs
== Kirkland WA
== MJCT_Hobbs at msn.com