Birch Compass
January 2026 — Tennessee Nature Journal
What to look for this month near you, with room to record what you find.
This month in nature
Birds to watch
- American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos
- Tufted Titmouse Baeolophus bicolor
- Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus
- Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis
- Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
- Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata
In bloom
- Eastern red cedar across the Central Basin glades releases clouds of pollen on the warmest late-winter afternoons.
In the garden
- A planning week on the frozen plateau, but West Tennessee cold frames keep collards and kale growing — order seeds early before favorites sell out.
- Brush heavy wet snow off plateau shrubs to prevent breakage, and start onions, leeks, and celery indoors under lights toward week's end.
- In the warm West Tennessee corner, plant English peas, onion sets, and the first potatoes in a sheltered bed on a mild late-January day.
- Finish dormant pruning of apple, peach, and grapevines on dry days, and start tomatoes and peppers indoors in the milder west.
Night sky
- The Quadrantid meteor shower peaks in a short, sharp burst around January 3 — best after midnight from a dark Cumberland Plateau overlook at Pickett State Park.
- Orion strides up the southern sky, his belt pointing down to brilliant Sirius — the cold, dry mountain air gives crystal-clear winter viewing.
- The Winter Hexagon and the Pleiades blaze overhead on the long, cold nights, with the Orion Nebula glowing in binoculars in Orion's sword.
My field notes