The  2017 Buffleheads Festival kept many people busy through September and early October but the results were gratifying. There was good attendance at and enthusiastic responses to all three events where Friends of Shoal Harbour had lead organizing responsibilities (Friday, October 13 reception at the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea, Saturday, October 14  Bufflehead welcoming ceremony at Roberts Bay, Sunday, October 15 boat trip from Victoria north to Sidney and Tsehum Harbour (Shoal Harbour) and return.  The three abovementioned events are reflected in the accompanying photos.

The Friday, October 13 Reception is of particular interest because it represented the Urban Sanctuaries Project (Victoria Harbour , Esquimalt Lagoon, and Shoal Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuaries   www.sanctuaryproject.ca) and also featured our close relationship with the Robert Bateman Centre batemancentre.org  .  The Robert Bateman Centre held two events in honour of All Buffleheads Day (October 14 – the day we associatemost closely with the return of the Bufflehead ducks from thier breeding areas), an Family Bufflehead Fest in the morning and a symposium/workshop on migration in the afternoon.

In addition to the hard-working FOSH crew, there are many people and organizations to thank. In no particular order:

• Sue Simosko of the Sidney Business Improvement  Area and her associates who encouraged us to think big and subsequently helped significantly with publicity.
• Mark Lorio, Executive Director of the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea and his staff for hosting the October 13 reception at the Centre
• Peter Ord, Executive Director of the Robert Bateman Centre and his staff for being a partners to the enterprise and for agreeing to hold the unveiling of the most recent painting of Robert Bateman at the October 13 reception. The Robert Bateman Centre’s Junior NatureSketch Club came out to the October 14 Bufflehead Welcoming Ceremony on Roberts Bay.
• Jacques Sirois and Judy Nault, spokespeople for the established migratory bird sanctuaries  of Victoria Habour and Esquimalt Lagoon.  Jacques  was also a much-appreciated guide on the October 15 cruise.
• Victoria Natural History Society (Warren Drinnan and Vicky Metcalfe) and the Capital Regional District (Kitty Lloyd and Jody Watson) for geneeral encouragement and spreading the word.
• The Plein Air Painters who showed up in quantity at the Mermaid Creek estuary on September 27 and allowed me (Farrell Boyce) to  photograph them at work and assemble the photos into a presentation for the October 13 reception.
• Pamela Porter, established and respected poet, for reading a selection of her poems at the October 13 reception.
• Patrick Godfrey, pianist, who provided live background music on October 13 and improvised accompaniments to both the Plein Air Painters slide show and Pamela Porter’s readings.
• Eagle Wing Tours for making their swift and comfortable vessel, the 4 Ever Wild available at a very affordable cost for the October 15 cruise.
• The Peninsula News Review (especially Steve Heywood, Editor) and the Victoria Times Colonist for timely and supportive articles.

Posted below are some captioned photos of the three All Bufflehead events. If you would like to add your personal photo to this cluster, please send it to abdboattour@shaw.ca

October 13 Reception: Getting ready for the show in the main gallery of the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea

.

October 13 Reception: Sue Staniforth (Friends of Shoal Harbour) and Jacques Sirois (Victoria Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary) prepare to unveil the new Robert Bateman painting

.

New painting of Bufflehead Ducks by Robert Bateman

.

October 14 Bufflehead Welcoming Ceremony: North Saanich Mayor, Alice Finall, welcomes the welcomers; the Buffleheads showed up later.

.

October 14: A member of the Junior NatureSketch Club (program of the Robert Bateman Centre) works on the beach at Roberts Bay

.

October 15  Cruise: Jacques Sirois guides a fellow observer

October 15 Cruise: Cordova Spit (foreground), Mount Tuam on Saltspring Island (background)

.

October 15 Cruise: Mount Baker seen from near Discovery Island

.

.

.