Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in Ocean County, New Jersey. It sits roughly 2.0 km (1.2 mi) E of Tuckerton.
The Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge is a U.S. National Wildlife Refuge located in southern and south-central New Jersey, along the Atlantic coast, north of Atlantic City, in Atlantic and Ocean counties. The refuge was created in 1984 out of two existing refuge parcels created to protect tidal wetland and shallow bay habitat for migratory water birds. The Barnegat Division (established in 1967) is located in Ocean County on the inland side of Barnegat Bay. The Brigantine Division (established in 1939) is located approximately 10 miles (16 km) north of Atlantic City along the south bank of the mouth of the Mullica River. The two divisions are separated by approximately 20 miles (32 km). The refuge is located along most active flight paths of the Atlantic Flyway, making it an important link in the network of national wildlife refuges administered nationwide by the U.S. Fish...From the Wikipedia article “Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:02 AM | 90° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:31 AM | 58° ENE | 8:29 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:46 AM | 89° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 120° ESE | 4:37 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 22m |
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 | 6:47 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 41m |
| February | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 6:43 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:14 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 21m |
| June | 4:57 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 57m |
| July | 5:11 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 42m |
| August | 5:42 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 45m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:15 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:12 PM | 10h 01m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:54 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 23m |
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 Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:04 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:14 AM – 5:34 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:11 AM – 4:41 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:14 AM – 3:44 AM | 3.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:28 PM – 3:28 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:20 PM – 2:00 AM | 3.7 | 22° | S → SW |
| August | 9:35 PM – 11:55 PM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:39 PM – 9:59 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:49 PM – 7:59 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.91 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 January as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 64 | 62 | 68 | 80 | 83 | 88 | 92 | 91 | 88 | 84 | 71 | 67 |
| Low °F | 6 | 5 | 11 | 29 | 37 | 49 | 58 | 58 | 50 | 37 | 25 | 14 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 4.5 |
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.
- Migration peaks bring the largest concentrations — see the birding calendar for this state.
- 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 Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Fire Lookout
Lighthouse
National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife Refuge
Ghost TownLighthouse
State Park
Lighthouse
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge from Tuckerton?
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.