72 Microseasons of the Pacific Northwest

Ancient murrelets (Synthliboramphus antiquus) are one of the most unusual of the Pacific Northwest's winter seabirds: small, dove-sized alcids with a black cap and grey back that breed in burrows on forested islands in the BC and Alaskan coast, then winter offshore from British Columbia south through Oregon. They arrive in Washington and Oregon waters in December, typically detected from headlands and coastal jetties during periods of northwest swell that push them closer to shore. Unlike most seabirds, ancient murrelet chicks leave the nest burrow within two days of hatching and swim out to sea with their parents — they are entirely seabird-adapted from the start and never return to land except to breed. Adults and young winter in small flocks in offshore shelf waters, eating krill and small fish. From Westport's dock and the mouth of Grays Harbor, from Cape Meares in Tillamook County, and from the ferry terminal in Anacortes, small groups of ancient murrelets in their crisp grey-and-black plumage can sometimes be seen flying low and fast over the water. BC's Swiftsure Bank, off the southwest tip of Vancouver Island near Neah Bay, is a regular concentration area. Experienced seabird-watchers run pelagic boat trips offshore from Westport, WA, in December specifically to find ancient murrelets alongside Cassin's auklets, marbled murrelets, and common murres. The Strait of Juan de Fuca can funnel large numbers past Dungeness Spit and the Victoria waterfront on northwest winds. This is a bird for those willing to scan the grey December swells patiently — but its natty plumage and improbable life history make it worth the effort.