October 18th was All Buffleheads Day 2025!
Buffleheads are North America's smallest diving sea duck. In the summer, they're found throughout the aspen parkland belt of Western Canada and Alaska. Amazingly, buffleheads rely entirely on Northern Flickers for their nesting sites, having evolved their small size to fit the woodpecker's tree cavities.
In the winter, many buffleheads migrate to the open lakes, harbours, coastal bays, and tidal creeks of the Salish Sea—with remarkable punctuality. Buffleheads have been returning to the Shoal Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Sidney at the exact same time every year (October 15th — the 297th day of the solar cycle)!
The Friends of Shoal Harbour created All Buffleheads Day not only to celebrate the birds’ return but to inspire action and connection. The event aims to secure Shoal Harbour’s protection in local community plans, unite governments, First Nations, organizations, and residents in managing the Saanich Peninsula’s lands and waters, and encourage families to explore and appreciate nature in their own “naturehood.”
This year, we had the privilege of joining the group of speakers, including MP Elizabeth May and Tsawout Elder Mavis Underwood. We spoke about the connection that forage fish have to our coastal seabirds, and the importance of protecting our natural shorelines.