Birch Compass
January 2026 — South Carolina 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
- American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos
- Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura
- Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus
- Tufted Titmouse Baeolophus bicolor
- Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata
In bloom
- Camellias glow in Charleston's historic gardens, and yellow jessamine may open its first trumpet flowers along a Lowcountry fence in a warm spell.
In the garden
- A planning week in the cold Upstate, but Lowcountry cold frames keep collards and kale growing — order seeds early before favorites sell out.
- Prune dormant apple, peach, and muscadine on mild dry days before the sap rises, and start onions and leeks indoors under lights.
- In the warm Lowcountry, plant English peas, onion sets, and Irish potatoes in a sheltered bed on a mild late-January day.
Night sky
- The Quadrantid meteor shower peaks in a short, sharp burst around January 3 — best after midnight from a dark Upstate ridge at Caesars Head or the unlit ACE Basin marshes.
- Orion strides up the southern sky, his belt pointing down to brilliant Sirius low in the southeast — the cold, dry winter air gives crystal-clear viewing.
- The Winter Hexagon and the Pleiades cluster blaze through the long, dark nights, with the Orion Nebula a misty glow in binoculars.
My field notes