We recently moved into a brand new property in central mass. It has a
number of oaks on the lot and today I noticed the leaves on one of
them were brown. This tree is a pin oak (I think: 6 pointed leaves and
3 points on each) and is about 40 feet tall.

I picked up a leaf that had fallen and it had gone completely brown
from the tips to about a third of the way back where it was still
green.

I am a neophyte to trees and their diseases and the only thing I could
find on the web that matched my leaf was "oak wilt". However, a
distribution map did not show it to be present in MA.

By the way, and I realize this might be important, this tree has grown
on the lip of a natural depression. The builders in their wisdom have
filled this depression with excavated dirt. It is not piled against
the tree, but I guess it may be a sufficient change in the dynamics of
the root system to perhaps cause a problem.

I realize my next call should be to an aborist, however would be
interested in some feedback from experienced folks.

Thanks in advance,

Gary