Birch Compass
January 2026 — Utah Nature Journal
What to look for this month near you, with room to record what you find.
This month in nature
Birds to watch
- Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris
- Common Raven Corvus corax
- Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
- Rock Wren Salpinctes obsoletus
- Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis
- House Finch Haemorhous mexicanus
In bloom
- In the warm St. George desert, the first winter jasmine and almond buds stir in Dixie gardens weeks ahead of the frozen north.
In the garden
- On the Wasatch Front, prune dormant apples, pears, and grapes on a mild thaw, and keep garlic mulched against the freeze-thaw heaving.
Night sky
- The Quadrantid meteor shower peaks in a short sharp burst around January 3; chase a clear window over a dark red-rock horizon away from the valley inversions.
- Brilliant Orion rides high in the south after dark, his belt pointing to Sirius, with the Pleiades and Gemini overhead under the dry desert air.
- With no major shower this week, Utah's dark parks favor deep-sky viewing — the Orion Nebula glows in telescopes from Bryce or Capitol Reef.
My field notes