Saw these two sparrows back on March 19 scurrying along tire tracks left in the sand on the beach in Fenwick Island State Park (Delaware). Unfortunately, it was a very gray, windy and cold day and I only had my iPhone for grainy/blurry pictures, per my usual luck, so some of the detail in coloring is lost. The reason I noticed the sparrows, was their very distinctive, heavy patterning especially along their outer/upper wings and back, also the head. Plus, they were large and moving super fast through the tire impressions as though it were their own personal speedway.
I thought Savannah sparrows initially but I’ve seen those before and these just looked and behaved differently. I’m thinking Lark Sparrow?