Located in City of Poquoson, Virginia, Plum Tree Island National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge. The nearest town is Poquoson, about 2.5 km (1.6 mi) away (Plum Tree Island National Wildlife Refuge lies NE of town).
The Plum Tree Island National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge in Poquoson, Virginia, located on the southwestern corner of the Chesapeake Bay. The 3,501-acre (14.17 km2) refuge is located at about the midpoint of the Atlantic Flyway, and is one of four refuges that comprise the Eastern Virginia Rivers National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Prior to being transferred to the jurisdiction of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in 1972, the preserve's lands were owned by the United States Department of Defense and used as a bombing range. Due to the amount of unexploded ordnance that remains, only the 200-acre (0.81 km2) Cow Island portion of the refuge is open to the public.From the Wikipedia article “Plum Tree Island National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Plum Tree Island National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:46 AM | 59° ENE | 8:29 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 43m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 119° ESE | 4:52 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 36m |
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 | 6:50 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 53m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:05 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:29 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 09m |
| June | 5:15 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 42m |
| July | 5:28 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 28m |
| August | 5:55 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:56 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:17 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:19 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:24 PM | 10h 12m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 38m |
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 Plum Tree Island National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:03 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:09 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:12 AM – 4:52 AM | 2.7 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:11 AM – 4:11 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:21 PM – 3:51 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:15 PM – 2:25 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:35 PM – 12:25 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 10:23 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:56 PM – 8:16 PM | 0.3 | 14° | 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: 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 ≈ 19.19 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 50% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (60%). 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 | 68 | 75 | 85 | 92 | 95 | 99 | 97 | 92 | 92 | 75 | 71 |
| Low °F | 13 | 10 | 17 | 33 | 42 | 54 | 65 | 64 | 54 | 41 | 28 | 18 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 5.4 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 3.7 |
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
- 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.
- Use auto-loop roads as mobile blinds; animals often tolerate vehicles more than people on foot.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Plum Tree Island National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Beach
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Scenic ViewpointFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Plum Tree Island National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Plum Tree Island National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Plum Tree Island National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Plum Tree Island National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Plum Tree Island National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Plum Tree Island National Wildlife Refuge from Poquoson?
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.