Birch Compass
January 2026 — Montana 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
- European Starling Sturnus vulgaris
- Common Raven Corvus corax
- Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris
- Northern House Wren Troglodytes aedon
- Black-billed Magpie Pica hudsonia
In bloom
- Nothing in flower here this month. The next to open are usually Bitterroot, Arrowleaf Balsamroot and Glacier Lily, around May — worth knowing where to be when they do.
In the garden
- A planning week — order short-season seed early, especially the 90-to-120-day varieties Montana's short season depends on, before they sell out.
- Leave drifted snow banked over perennial beds and garlic as insulation, and gently knock heavy wet snow off arborvitae to prevent splitting.
- Start onions and leeks under lights late in the month — these slowest crops need the head start to mature in Montana's short season.
Night sky
- The Quadrantid meteor shower peaks in a short, sharp burst around January 3 — watch after midnight from a dark plains site like the CMR Refuge, away from town lights.
- Orion dominates the south, his belt pointing down to brilliant Sirius — Montana's cold, dry winter air makes for crystal-clear viewing.
- On the coldest, clearest nights, Montana's high latitude often catches the aurora borealis glowing low along the northern horizon, especially north of the Hi-Line.
Birds: species recorded on the USGS Breeding Bird Survey. Monthly presence describes typical seasonal timing modeled from regional patterns, not month-by-month counts.
My field notes