Birch Compass
January 2026 — Alabama Nature Journal
What to look for this month near you, with room to record what you find.
This month in nature
Birds to watch
- Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis
- Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos
- Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
- American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos
- Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus
- Red-bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus
In bloom
- Camellias, the state flower, open red, pink, and white against the cold in gardens across central and south Alabama and at Bellingrath Gardens near Mobile.
- The first daffodils and fragrant winter honeysuckle open in mild south-Alabama gardens, and red maple buds swell crimson in the Coastal Plain swamps.
In the garden
- On the Gulf Coast, plant English peas, onion sets, and potatoes in a sheltered bed on a mild day, while north Alabama gardeners prune dormant fruit trees.
- Start onions, leeks, and celery indoors under lights, and check that mulch still protects overwintering garlic and tender shrubs across the state.
Night sky
- The Quadrantid meteor shower peaks in a short, sharp burst around January 3 — best after midnight from a dark Cumberland Plateau ridge or the unlit west end of Dauphin Island.
- Orion strides up the southern sky, his belt pointing down to brilliant Sirius low in the southeast — the cold, dry plateau air gives crystal-clear viewing.
- The Winter Hexagon and the Pleiades cluster blaze through the long, cold nights, with the Orion Nebula a misty glow in binoculars from a dark site.
My field notes