Located in Greater Bridgeport Planning Region, Connecticut, Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge. It sits roughly 2.8 km (1.7 mi) SSW of Stratford.
The Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge is a 950-acre (384.5 ha) National Wildlife Refuge in ten units across the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in the Atlantic Flyway, the refuge spans 70 miles (110 km) of Connecticut coastline and provides important resting, feeding, and nesting habitat for many species of wading birds, shorebirds, songbirds and terns, including the endangered roseate tern. Adjacent waters serve as wintering habitat for brant, scoters, American black duck, and other waterfowl. Overall, the refuge encompasses over 900 acres (364.2 ha) of barrier beach, intertidal wetland and fragile island habitats. Originally named the Salt Meadow National Wildlife Refuge, the refuge was renamed in 1987 after Stewart B. McKinney, a congressman from Connecticut.From the Wikipedia article “Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:57 AM | 90° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:21 AM | 57° ENE | 8:29 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 09m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 121° ESE | 4:28 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 12m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Wildlife is most active in the first and last two hours of daylight — exactly when the light is warmest.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:46 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 32m |
| February | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 39m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:45 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:51 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:04 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 29m |
| June | 4:46 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:01 PM | 15h 07m |
| July | 5:01 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 51m |
| August | 5:33 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 50m |
| September | 6:06 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:31 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:37 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:41 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:12 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:22 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 54m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:56 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:25 PM | 4:57 PM | 9h 14m |
Local time (America/New York), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 8 (city sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:10 AM – 5:10 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:22 AM – 5:32 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:22 AM – 4:32 AM | 2.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:19 AM – 3:39 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:37 PM – 3:07 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:27 PM – 1:47 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:38 PM – 11:38 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:38 PM – 9:38 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:45 PM – 7:45 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 8 Bortle 8 — City sky. Only bright constellations are visible; the sky glows orange or white. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.19 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 50% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (65%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 66 | 70 | 73 | 91 | 87 | 95 | 101 | 102 | 96 | 88 | 76 | 69 |
| Low °F | -16 | -15 | -8 | 18 | 30 | 38 | 49 | 50 | 37 | 21 | 6 | -2 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 4.2 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this national wildlife refuge
- Fast shutter speeds (1/2000 s+) freeze wingbeats; raise ISO rather than lose the shot.
- Migration peaks bring the largest concentrations — see the birding calendar for this state.
- Use auto-loop roads as mobile blinds; animals often tolerate vehicles more than people on foot.
- Stay on designated routes and keep a respectful distance — if an animal changes behavior, you are too close.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Spring and autumn migration are the highlights; winter brings waterfowl to many southern refuges.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens (400 mm+), Bean bag for car window, Binoculars. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Launching or landing drones on National Wildlife Refuge lands generally requires a special use permit from the refuge manager, and wildlife disturbance rules apply everywhere.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Ghost Town
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseLighthouse
Beach
LighthouseLighthouseFAQ
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Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.