Concord, Mass.
1908.
April 12
  Brilliantly clear with cold N.W. wind blowing with
tremendous violence from sunrise to sunset. It began yesterday
afternoon and kept up through the whole of last night. Rarely if
ever have I known a gale of such exceptional strength last so
long. It silenced the birds so completely I actually did
not hear one - not even a Song Sparrow - sing to-day although
the sun was bright & warm. Hylas, however, were peeping
noisily at sunset. I heard no Wood Frogs. Their singing
season is probably over. It is briefer than that of any other
N.E. Batrachian except the Spade Foot Toad.
March weather in April
Violent gale silences birds.
Wood Frogs
  I noted the Ruby-crowned Kinglet & the Kingfisher
to-day for the first time. The former was in some 
bushes at the sheltered side of Davis Hill. I got within
a few feet of it but could see no crown patch. Indeed it
looked to me like a female. It gave the characteristic chatter
once but did not sing.
Arrivals
  The Golden-crests were singing rather freely. I found
two birds together in two places and a little flock of
seven (an unusual number for this season) in the
white pines in the Prescott wood lot.
Seven Gold-crest Kinglets in one flock
  Larry found a dead Gray Squirrel at Ball's Hill the
other day & I picked up another this morning on Davis Hill.
Both had the skin drawn nearly off from the head downward
and most of the flesh eaten. I wonder what did it.
They had been dead for a week or more I judged.
Gray Squirrels killed in mysterious way
  I saw the pair of Nuthatches in the trees near our
farm house on the 8th. Yesterday the female was found dead by
Gilbert on the grass under the big elm in our door yard.
I skinned her today. She was in good flesh and her
stomach was cram-full of larvae. Not the slightest trace of
injury or disease could I find anywhere about her.
Her ovaries were not more developed than in October specimens.
Nuthatch found dead