There are no squirrels on Chappaquiddick. Well, that is until a week ago.

The birding community was saddened to hear of the death of Julian Robinson. His photographs, poems and love of sharing them with young and old alike will be sorely missed. I hope Rob Bierregaard will name the next male osprey that he fits with a transmitter Julian.

It is a strange-looking plant growing in a wetland beside the road — a three to four-foot stump that is maybe three-quarter inches in diameter all the way from its base to its tip, and completely covered with a dense layer of many small thorns. These stumps appear to be broken off, but on closer look the upper tip of each stump is one large terminal bud that may be damaged.

Atlantic sturgeon, an ancient fish that once swam in local waters and has since become scarce, has been listed by the federal government as an endangered species, setting in motion a long-term effort to restore the fish to previous levels.