My Little RBG

Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • May 17, 2021

Yeah, no, not Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Sorry.


This is actually one of my favorite birds – a Rose Breasted Grosbeak (which basically means “big nose”). Cardinals – my favorite – are grosbeaks as well.


But in any case, I have not seen a RBG yet this spring. For quite a few years, I believe the same one showed up at my feeder at home like clockwork every May 7th or 8th until he didn’t anymore. That was really sad as I figured he was likely gone. But on May 10th, I was walking into the backyard of the Mitchell House. The sun was finally out after being cold and rainy and I saw something flutter from the ground and grab the side of the Solomon’s Seal where it paused. I figured that it was a robin – they are building nests back here – but realized it was smaller. I looked more closely and there was the RBG in all his scarlet/pink glory.   


If you have not seen one before, they are stunners. He looks like someone shot him in the neck – it’s a large splotch of color with a line (like a drip) running down his breast. I have never seen one on Vestal Street so I am still rather excited. I took a photograph – it’s pretty far as I didn’t want to scare him. He seemed to be eating bugs or taking water off the Money Plant (the purple flowers) and then doing the same to the Lily of the Valley. Initially he flew off over the fence into the neighbors but after a few minutes he came back and continued to peck and hunt about on the ground for quite a while. I am hoping this was not just a weigh station and that perhaps he and the Missus have a nest. I’d love to be an auntie. Each spring we have multiple nests and babies in the Mitchell House backyard. It’s fun to watch them albeit at times a bit stressful!


It was a banner bird day for me that day. When I got home later that evening, I was happy to see a Ruby-throated Hummingbird at my hummingbird feeder and then, the next morning, a Baltimore Oriole on my oriole feeder!


Spring IS here!


P.S. About May 12th, baby Robins fledged from the nest in the Mitchell House yard so I am an auntie, I guess.


JNLF

Recent Posts

Keep Calm and Bird On: October 2026

October 1, 2026
“If you don’t look, you don’t see. You have to go and look.” -Edith Andrews

Celebrating Maria’s Discovery of a Comet – October 1, 1847

By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • October 1, 2026
10mo 1, 1847. {October 1, 1847} This evening at half past ten Maria discovered a telescopic comet five degrees above Polaris. Persuaded that no nebulae could occupy that position unnoticed it scarcely needed the evidence of motion to give it the character of a comet. From the journals of William Mitchell, father of Maria. One hundred and seventy-nine years later! JNLF

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association to Host Annual Aquarium Release Day Saturday, October 10

September 30, 2026
The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) announces that its annual Aquarium Release Day will take place on Saturday, October 10, 2026 from 10am - 12pm at the MMA Aquarium at 32 Washington Street. A sensory-friendly half hour will be offered from 9:30 – 10am. Join MMA staff to help the staff release this season’s Aquarium inhabitants back into the ocean. This community event is FREE to the public and a great opportunity to learn and celebrate the marine life that lives in the waters of Nantucket Island. The MMA Aquarium is dedicated to educating the public on the importance of biodiversity in our unique marine ecosystems found here on Nantucket. Each summer, the MMA Aquarium Manager, Chelsea Petrik, as well as her team of dedicated college interns and volunteers, explore the shores of Nantucket to find and document an assortment of over 7,500 individual marine animals, most of which are recorded and released. They snorkel, seine, and beachcomb to collect over 300 different marine animals. The animals are studied and cared for at the Aquarium so that the MMA can help people to learn more about these important marine organisms. Roughly seventy different species are featured at the Aquarium throughout the season. Local fishermen also provide the Aquarium with species they come across in their nets and at the end of their lines. Pre-registration is encouraged. Register at the link below: https://112458a.blackbaudhosting.com/112458a/2025-Aquarium-Release-Day-10Oct2026 The Maria Mitchell Association is a private non-profit organization. Founded in 1902, the MMA works to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. The Maria Mitchell Association operates two observatories, a natural science museum, an aquarium, a research center, and preserves the historic birthplace of Maria Mitchell. A wide variety of science and history-related programming is offered throughout the year for people of all ages. ###
Show More