Birch Compass
January 2026 — Arizona Nature Journal
What to look for this month near you, with room to record what you find.
This month in nature
Birds to watch
- Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
- Gambel's Quail Callipepla gambelii
- White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica
- Common Raven Corvus corax
- House Finch Haemorhous mexicanus
- Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos
In bloom
- Chuparosa hangs its red tubular flowers along desert washes, feeding the resident and wintering hummingbirds.
- On the bajadas, a green carpet of poppy and lupine seedlings spreads underfoot, the first promise of the March bloom.
- Garden aloes raise brilliant orange and red spikes that swarm with Anna's and Costa's Hummingbirds.
In the garden
- The low-desert cool-season garden thrives — harvest lettuce, broccoli, and greens while the rest of the country freezes.
- Plant bare-root deciduous fruit trees, grapes, and roses now while dormant, choosing low-chill desert varieties.
- Fertilize established citrus and prune dormant deciduous fruit trees in the mild low-desert weather.
- Start tomato and pepper seeds, and prepare for mid-February transplanting to beat the desert heat.
Night sky
- The Quadrantid meteor shower peaks around January 3 in a brief, sharp burst, best after midnight from a dark desert site.
- Orion climbs high in the south, his belt pointing down to brilliant Sirius over the dark Sonoran Desert.
My field notes