Birch Compass
January 2026 — North Dakota 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
- Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
- Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris
- American Goldfinch Spinus tristis
- Wilson's Snipe Gallinago delicata
- Northern House Wren Troglodytes aedon
In bloom
A quiet month here — watch and note what you find.
In the garden
- A planning week — order short-season seed early, especially the 90-day-and-shorter varieties northern prairie gardens depend on, before they sell out.
- Leave drifted snow banked over perennial beds as insulation, and gently knock heavy wet snow off arborvitae and evergreens to prevent splitting.
- Start onions and leeks under lights late in the month — the slowest crops need this head start to mature in the short prairie season.
Night sky
- The Quadrantid meteor shower peaks in a short, sharp burst around January 3; watch after midnight from a dark prairie site away from town lights.
- Orion dominates the southern sky, his belt pointing down to brilliant Sirius — the cold, dry prairie air makes for crystal-clear viewing.
- On the coldest, clearest nights, North Dakota's high latitude often catches the aurora borealis glowing along the northern horizon.
My field notes