Concord, Mass.
1911.
March 20.
[March 20, 1911]

Snow storm
A strange trajidy [tragedy] enacted

   About three inches of wet, heavy snow fell last
night covering the ground very evenly and loading every
twig of tree & shrub so that the woods & thickets
presented a beautiful appearance this morning. Bluebirds
were singing and Robins calling near the house as I
was dressing. Two or three Chickadees and the pair
of Nuthatches visited the suet to get their breakfast
while we were eating ours. Not long after this a strange
and gruesome trajedy [tragedy] was enacted in the lilacs within
fifteen feet of the windows. James, Gilbert and I witnessed
all but its opening act which, unfortunately, escaped our
notice. We were in the dining room, consulting about the
day's work, when we heard the tchick note of the Downy
Woodpecker repeated almost incessantly & very rapidly just
outside. For a minute or more we paid no attention to it.
But something unusual in its quality & its insistence soon