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New York

When to catch Morton Refugeat its best

Morton Refuge through the year: wildlife by season (3 separate phases, from between mid-March and early April) and winter wildlife (local timing: Late October through early April). Each has its own page with spots, sources and the latest reports.

RIGHT NOW · SEP 30

  • Latest reportNo dated report this season; the posters below show each usual window.
  • This weekend (NWS)Sat chance rain showers then mostly sunny, 67°F · Sun partly sunny then chance rain showers, 62°F
  • Park alertsCheck the managing agency before you go

When are you going?

Fall at Morton Refuge

Good in fall

  • Best times to see waterfowl: late October through early April

From each place's own sources; no peak claimed.

Nearby in fall

Next peak here after fall

BEST VIEWING · WINTER WILDLIFEMorton RefugeLate October through early AprilNew York

“Late October through early April” · U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗

Remind me →

Where to go at Morton Refuge

Spots, visitor points and places nearby
  • Spring
  • Fall
Places on this map, as a list
Map: approximate positions; state lines US Census.

Best spots

Where each event's source says to go

Wildlife by season

  • Wild Birds Nature TrailA self-guided 1.2-mile trail through woodland onto the beach, where most visitors watch wildlife; restrooms at the Visitor Contact Station at its startU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
  • Elevated beach viewing platformAn elevated platform at the beach with a view over Little Peconic Bay, Noyack Bay and the wildlife of the Jessup's Neck PeninsulaU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗

Winter wildlife

  • Elevated beach viewing platformLooks out over Little Peconic Bay and Noyack Bay, where large groups of black ducks, bufflehead and common goldeneye float in winterU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
  • Jessup's Neck beachAlmost two miles of beach along the Jessup's Neck Peninsula, reached by the 1.2-mile Wild Birds Nature Trail; the nesting closure on part of the beach runs April to AugustU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗

Next 7 days at Morton Refuge

Forecast: National Weather Service
  • TodayPartly Sunny67° / 61°–
  • ThuPartly Sunny71° / 64°–
  • FriMostly Sunny73° / 60°33% rain
  • SatChance Rain Showers then Mostly Sunny67° / 55°28% rain
  • SunPartly Sunny then Chance Rain Showers62° / 55°27% rain
  • MonSlight Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Sunny63° / 47°21% rain
  • TueSunny58° / 48°1% rain

Today: sunrise 6:46 a.m., sunset 6:35 p.m., light until 7:02 p.m. · moon waning gibbous, 78% lit (our calculation)

Nearby, and when they peak

Straight-line miles; roads are longer

Towns nearby

Straight-line miles; each town page has frost dates and its nature year

Morton Refuge in pictures

Illustrative photos, not current conditions
A pale shell-covered beach curving along calm blue water, with low shrubs and a wooded point beyond
The beach at Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge (date not given; a view of the beach, not of plovers). Photo: USFWS · public domain · resized

Questions people ask

Can I walk the beach while plovers are nesting?

Part of it. A portion of the beach is closed from April to August to protect nesting birds; binoculars help you see the beach wildlife from outside the closure. The rest of the beach runs almost two miles along Jessup's Neck.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Elizabeth A. Morton NWR: Visit Us ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Can I feed the birds?

Please don't. The refuge says hand-feeding has harmed piping plovers, American oystercatchers and least terns: seed and food draw raccoons and rats that eat chicks and eggs. Don't leave food behind either.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Elizabeth A. Morton NWR: Visit Us ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Is there a fee?

Yes: $4 per vehicle or $2 on foot or bike, or a $12 annual refuge pass. A current Federal Duck Stamp also covers the entrance fee.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Elizabeth A. Morton NWR: Visit Us ↗ (opens in a new tab)

When is it open, and can I bring my dog?

It's open from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. No pets are allowed, because they disturb wildlife.Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Elizabeth A. Morton NWR: Visit Us ↗ (opens in a new tab)

How we know

Every timing above, from these pages; checked Sep 30