Re. the Whiskered Auklet sighting:

Given the poor lighting I don't believe the description eliminates
Rhinoceros Auklet, which should appear browner than described. Whiskered
Auklets are listed as 7" long in Peterson's Western Guide, Rhinos as 14-15
1/2 inches, and Eared Grebes as 12-14". So size favors Rhino. The bill color
seem closer to Rhino than (at least a full breeding) Whiskered. While it's
true that "anything is possible" when dealing with birds that fly,
probabilities are heavily against the Whiskered here. What about eye color
and the presence or absence of a black, forward curving crest which
Whiskered is supposed to show. Never having seen a Whiskered Auklet I can't
say from first hand experience how prominent or consistent the features
illustrated in the guides might be, however.

Gene Hunn, Seattle, hunnhome at accessone.com

At 09:45 PM 4/16/98 -0700, you wrote:
>This is my first detailed report. The following report is from memory,
>not looking at the field guides.
>
>SIGHTING OF WHISKERED AUKLET
>Location: Point Hudson Marina, Port Townsend, Washington
>Date of sighting: 4 - 11 - 98
>Time: About 12:15 PM
>Weather: Cloudy with intermittent sun.
>Water conditions: Fairly smooth. Color dark.
>Distance from bird: 30 feet horizontal and 45-50 in a straight line.
>Direction and type of travel: It was heading out to open water and was
>swimming. It was by itself.
>
>View of bird: From the side. i.e. Profile.
>
> We were up on a wooden walk-way on top of the pilings that are part of
>the entrance to the marina, on the east side.
>
>Description of bird :
>
>Size: I don't know how birds are measured, so I will use a comparison.
>About the size of a Eared Grebe, but the neck was thick and short, with
>more of the body under the water.
>
>Main body color: Black to sooty black.
>
>Markings front to back:
>
>The beak was a dull orange and thick and short. The thickness or height
>of the beak was about 1/2 the length. Just in front of the eye (don't
>remember eye color), there was what appeared to be a long narrow white
>feather or feathers that curved up and forward to a point about one inch
>above the head. From the same starting point (in front of the eye) there
>was a narrow white strip of feathers curving downward along
>the cheek. From a point directly behind the eye there was a narrow
>white strip of feathers that curved downward onto the neck. The wings
>appeared to be a bit darker then the body. The tail was short and
>stubby.
>
>This is all that I can recall of the sighting. If I had known it was a
>rare bird, I would have been more observant, taken pictures, or had
>other people look at it. Two ladies also saw the bird and one of them
>said "Oh a WHISKERED AUKLET that's a lifer for me." Apperently they are
>not on tweeters.
>
>Jerry Converse
>Grand Coulee, WA
>
>