Bird Identification: CLOSED: It's driving me crazy, 1 by Elphaba

Elphaba wrote:
I hope that you can tell what bird this is from this lousy picture. I saw it fly around the pond several times yesterday and wondered what it was. Today, it landed in front of me while I was eating my cereal. Didn't have my camera and its head was blocked by foliage, but saw its back clearly and as I thought, it was reddish/brown with no mottling or wingbars -- just smooth.

Yesterday, it's back seemed the same rust color as a Brown Thrasher that showed up after. Today, it seemed more subdued and yellowed in the morning sun. I was watching a nashville warbler right in front of me when this bird landed in the same foliage. it was bigger than the Nashville Warbler but smaller than a House Sparrow.

In this pic, it looks like a House Finch, but I don't think it is b/c of the solid rusty color on its back and head. Any ideas? It's driving me crazy.