Sam --Thanks for this thoughtful information.  
Peggy MundyBothell WA




On Sunday, June 7, 2020, 11:43:38 a.m. PDT, Samuel Terry <samgterry at gmail.com> wrote:

Hey All - 
Wanted to share some thoughts about going to look for the South Seattle magpie. While I don't know where it is currently hanging out, the area that it's been reported in most is the the New Holly public housing community in South Beacon Hill. 
I don't live in this community but I have worked in it for 15+ years, and have gotten to know it well. It is a wonderful neighborhood that is largely made up of Black and Brown folks. If you are White, like I am, and are not already well connected to this neighborhood's residents, I'd like to encourage you to think carefully first about whether it makes sense to show up and wander around with binoculars right now. To be clear, I'm not worried about a visiting white person's safety here, I'm worried about the safety of the Black and Brown people living there. Because, as we saw with the Central Park incident, and as we've seen over and over in other situations, our internalized fears as White people are a very dangerous thing for people of color.
I certainly believe that our ability to connect with people of different races over our love of birds is a real and valuable thing. But, in the current political climate with increasingly public police brutality and surveillance of people of color communities, remember that our presence as White people is not neutral.
If you are planning on looking for this bird today, I'd like to invite you to also attend the Black Lives Matter march that youth in the community have organized. It starts at Othello Park at 2pm and ends at the Rainier Beach Safeway. I'll be there, and I'd be happy to march with you and chat more if you'd like to talk any of this through. Feel free to email me directly to coordinate. We all have a lot to figure out, and we'll be better at it if we do it together. 
In summary:- for White birders : our presence isn't neutral and could be frightening to people who live there - if you're going to go please be very mindful of how you show up and behave in this community - if there's any chance you'd call the cops if you got scared while there, don't go - it's not safe for the residents- join me at the march in support of Black Lives and this neighborhood's residents!
Good birding, 

Sam TerrySeattle
On Sat, Jun 6, 2020 at 6:31 PM Aaron Martin <aamartin at gmail.com> wrote:

I am on a FB group and someone reported a Magpie with a photo in the Beacon Hill neighborhood. Based of the county checklists they are considered rare for King County, however there have been sightings off and on for the last several years. If anyone is interested in going after it let me know and I can inquire about more specific details.
Aaron MartinSeattle, WA_______________________________________________
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