Birch Compass
January 2026 — Mississippi 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
- Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
- American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos
- Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata
- Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus
- Red-bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus
In bloom
- Camellias and the first daffodils open in mild southern gardens, and the earliest red maple flowers can show along the coast as January thaws.
- Japanese (saucer) magnolias begin to swell their fuzzy buds, and crow poison and henbit carpet the warm lawns.
In the garden
- Cold frames and the mild coast keep collards, kale, and spinach growing; order seed early before the warm-season favorites sell out.
- Prune dormant fruit trees, muscadines, and blueberries on mild dry days, and start onions and leeks under lights for an early set.
- Across central and southern Mississippi, plant English peas, onion sets, and Irish potatoes in a warm sheltered bed toward month's end.
Night sky
- The Quadrantid meteor shower peaks in a short, sharp burst around January 3 — best after midnight from the dark, open Delta or the unlit Gulf Islands beaches.
- Orion strides up the southern sky, his belt pointing down to brilliant Sirius — the cold, dry nights give crystal-clear viewing from a dark Mississippi site.
My field notes