Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in Salem County, New Jersey. The nearest town is Pennsville, about 3.2 km (2.0 mi) away (Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuge lies SSW of town).
The Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is a component of the Delaware River estuary in Salem County, New Jersey, it is just north of the Salem River and south of Pennsville. The Delaware Bay and estuary are wetlands of international importance and an international shorebird reserve. The refuge currently owns approximately 3,000 acres (12 km2) within the 4,600-acre (19 km2) approved boundary. The brackish water tidal marshes and coastal forests that make up nearly 80 percent of the refuge provide waterfowl with a feeding and resting area, particularly during the fall and spring migrations. American black ducks, mallards and northern pintails are common winter visitors. Sandpipers and other shorebirds use the refuge marshes as a feeding area during the summer as well as during the spring and fall migrations.From the Wikipedia article “Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Supawna Meadows 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) | 7:07 AM | 90° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 58° ENE | 8:34 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:50 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 120° ESE | 4:42 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 | 6:52 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 41m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 21m |
| June | 5:02 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 57m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 42m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 45m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:17 PM | 10h 01m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:59 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:10 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 Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright 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 | 5:09 AM – 5:19 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:19 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:16 AM – 4:46 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:20 AM – 3:50 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:34 PM – 3:24 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:26 PM – 2:06 AM | 3.7 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 12:01 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:44 PM – 10:04 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:54 PM – 8:04 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.23 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 December as the cloudiest (63%). 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 | 67 | 72 | 77 | 91 | 90 | 97 | 102 | 100 | 96 | 95 | 76 | 70 |
| Low °F | 0 | -1 | -3 | 25 | 35 | 46 | 55 | 54 | 43 | 30 | 21 | 10 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 3.9 |
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
- 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.
- Use auto-loop roads as mobile blinds; animals often tolerate vehicles more than people on foot.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
National Wildlife Refuge
State Park
State Park
Beach
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuge from Pennsville?
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.