Located in Concordia Parish, Louisiana, Bayou Cocodrie National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge. It sits roughly 11.6 km (7.2 mi) SSW of West Ferriday.
Bayou Cocodrie National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1992 to protect some of the last remaining, least-disturbed bottomland hardwood forest tracts in the Lower Mississippi Valley. These wooded wetlands, oxbow lakes, brakes, sloughs, and bayous, are inhabited seasonally by over 150 species of migratory birds, including forest-breeding birds, water birds, and waterfowl. The 15,155-acre (61.33 km2) refuge is located in Concordia Parish, Louisiana, 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Vidalia, Louisiana. It is named for the state-designated scenic river which runs through its center. The Nature Conservancy purchased an 11,403-acre (46.15 km2) core tract in 1991 from the Fisher Lumber Company, a subsidiary of General Motors Corporation. The Conservancy then sold the land to the US Fish and Wildlife Service over a span of five years. Hoover Slough unit was later added to the refuge.From the Wikipedia article “Bayou Cocodrie National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bayou Cocodrie National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 82° in summer but only 35° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:03 AM | 62° ENE | 8:15 PM | 299° WNW | 82° | 14h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:03 AM | 117° ESE | 5:08 PM | 243° WSW | 35° | 10h 05m |
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 | 6:41 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 19m |
| February | 6:24 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 5:21 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:19 PM | 11h 05m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:14 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 57m |
| May | 5:44 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 45m |
| June | 5:34 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 12m |
| July | 5:45 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 01m |
| August | 6:07 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 19m |
| September | 6:27 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:38 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:46 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 26m |
| November | 6:10 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:10 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 34m |
| December | 6:33 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 06m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Bayou Cocodrie National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 30° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:36 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:46 AM – 5:46 AM | 2.0 | 26° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:41 AM – 5:11 AM | 3.5 | 30° | SE → S |
| May | 11:40 PM – 4:30 AM | 4.8 | 30° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:53 PM – 4:23 AM | 6.5 | 30° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:50 PM – 2:50 AM | 5.0 | 30° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:20 PM – 12:50 AM | 3.5 | 30° | S → SW |
| September | 8:36 PM – 10:46 PM | 2.2 | 26° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:57 PM – 8:47 PM | 0.8 | 18° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.69 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 38% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 79 | 82 | 85 | 95 | 102 | 106 | 107 | 108 | 105 | 101 | 89 | 81 |
| Low °F | 16 | 19 | 20 | 32 | 42 | 55 | 62 | 54 | 46 | 32 | 19 | 19 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.1 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 5.1 | 4.8 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 5.3 |
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
- 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.
- A 400–600 mm lens (or a crop body) is the usual tool for birds.
- Fast shutter speeds (1/2000 s+) freeze wingbeats; raise ISO rather than lose the shot.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Bayou Cocodrie National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
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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.