Great Backyard Bird Count - Dr. Robert B. Hayling Freedom Park

Participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count by joining us on a morning walk through the Dr. Robert B. Hayling Freedom Park - one of the newest additions to the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail (Trail). This walk will be led by James Hill, who is one of the individuals responsible for the Park's addition to the Trail.

The Robert B. Hayling Freedom Park (Park) is named after the famed civil rights leader from St. Augustine who was a friend of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In some circles, Dr. Hayling is considered one of the fathers of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 -- desegregating St. Augustine was a bloody, long battle and Dr. Hayling took the brunt of it in many ways. The St. Augustine battle helped break an impasse in Congress that resulted in the Act's passage. Dr.King praised Dr. Hayling’s “driving spirit,” and wrote that his “dedication and sacrifice in the civil rights movement [could] never be measured.”

For further reading about the remarkable Dr. Robert B. Hayling (1929-2015) and his life, start here and here.

Moreover, the Park is just great for birding. Due largely to James’ efforts over the past eight years to document birds at the Park through eBird, 160 species of birds have been identified at the Park. James and others have found three types of marsh sparrows that are considered "vulnerable" (Saltmarsh, Seaside, and Nelson’s Sparrows - all pictured in this newsletter), which rely on spartina grass for their habitat in winter.

We'll meet at the entrance to the Willie Galimore Recreation Center; parking is available next to Eddie Vickers Park, which we will also bird.

Bring sunscreen, a hat, binoculars, and water. We suggest that you wear sturdy walking shoes.

We encourage you to consider joining the SJRA. You can join for as little as $15/year, which can help us continue and expand our work. To join the SJRA, follow this link: https://stjohnsaudubon.com/membership/

Host or Publisher St. Johns County Audubon