Birch Compass
January 2026 — Nebraska 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
- Northern House Wren Troglodytes aedon
- Ring-necked Pheasant Phasianus colchicus
- European Starling Sturnus vulgaris
- Red-headed Woodpecker Melanerpes erythrocephalus
- American Goldfinch Spinus tristis
In bloom
A quiet month here — watch and note what you find.
In the garden
- A planning week — order seeds and favor short-season varieties that finish in the cold Sandhills and panhandle corner of the state.
- Where snow is thin, lay straw or evergreen boughs over strawberries and perennial crowns — Nebraska's open winters often bring killing cold without insulating snow.
- Knock heavy wet snow gently off arborvitae and juniper to prevent breakage, but leave dry, fluffy snow over the beds as insulation.
Night sky
- The Quadrantid meteor shower peaks in a short, sharp burst around January 3; watch after midnight from a dark Sandhills site such as Merritt Reservoir.
- Orion dominates the south after dark, his belt pointing to brilliant Sirius, with the Winter Hexagon sprawling overhead in the cold, clear Plains air.
- Long, dark January-into-February nights and exceptionally transparent air make the Sandhills around Valentine prime winter stargazing country.
My field notes