Birch Compass
January 2026 — Florida 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
- Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus
- Red-bellied Woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus
- Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos
- Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata
In bloom
- Spanish Needles (Bidens alba) — disturbed ground, field edges, and gardens statewide nearly year-round — a small white-and-yellow daisy and one of Florida's most important nectar sources for butterflies and bees
- Orange blossoms begin perfuming the central Florida groves as the citrus sets the next crop, and red maple flushes crimson in the swamps.
In the garden
- The cool-season vegetable garden is in full production statewide; harvest broccoli, collards, and lettuce, and keep frost cloth ready in the north.
- In central and south Florida, frost-tender tomatoes and peppers keep producing through the mild dry season while the north watches for freezes.
Night sky
- The Quadrantid meteor shower peaks in a brief, sharp burst around January 3 — best after midnight from the dark Kissimmee Prairie or Big Cypress.
- Orion strides high in the south with the Orion Nebula glowing in his sword, climbing higher over Florida's flat horizon than at northern latitudes.
- The Winter Hexagon and the brilliant Pleiades blaze through the long, crisp January nights over the dark prairie.
My field notes