Cassin's Auklets are really a pelagic species that come on land only to
nest on offshore islands. Even in breeding season they're hard to see,
because they arrive at their burrows after dark and leave before dawn to
escape predators. About 40,000 nest on the Washington coast, and a huge
colony of around one million birds nests on Triangle Island, around
twenty miles off the north end of Vancouver Island. During the winter
these birds are said to disperse southward along the coast as far as
Baja California, but a flock is sometimes sighted near the mouth of the
Strait of Juan de Fuca. So to see Cassin's Auklets this time of year the
best bet might be to scan the tidal rips off Cape Flattery. (See Bob
Morse's guide for details.) The sightings reported from Dash Point in
Federal Way earlier this winter, if accurate, are surely isolated
phenomena, and aren't likely to happen again soon. One might also spot
Cassin's Auklets from the west side of Vancouver Island, say, off Port
Renfrew, Bamfield, or Ucluelet. But the best bet for decent views is a
pelagic trip.

Paul Webster
Seattle
paul.webster at attbi.com