on the Glénan Islands, we spot the plover nests before the massive arrival of tourists

The plover, emblematic bird of the Breton archipelago, is an endangered species. Associations are therefore preparing the island for the arrival of tourists this summer, to limit their nuisance to the fauna and flora.

The Glénan Islands are preparing for the high season. This archipelago in southern Finistère, located a few kilometers from the continent, is an area very popular with tourists. During the summer, many curious people come for walks to see these fine sandy beaches and turquoise water. An influx which has many consequences on the fauna and flora of the island. Some species are only found on this island and are considered very fragile. This is particularly the case for the plover, a small bird which nests on beaches. The Bretagne Vivant association visits the island several times a week to protect the species from tourists.

Barely arrived on the island, David and Margaux, two members of the “Bretagne vivant” association, set off for a tour of the island. Objective: observe where the tourists wander and above all find plover eggs which are “similar to quail eggs and which are mimetic with the ground, which makes them almost invisible. So when we walk on the beach and chat with friends, while walking we can very well make an omelette without to notice”, David explains.

The plover is an emblematic species of the archipelago which saw its population halved in the 2010s. Where there are the most losses is during the period before hatching. “At the spawning level it’s about 80% failure,” reports David. The period lasts approximately 27 days and during this time the eggs are rather well hidden, so you absolutely need to know the behavior of the bird to find them. “We have just seen a female leaving a little low, this is the typical behavior of the individual who does not want us to find her nest and who tries to leave discreetly, so her nest is somewhere” , describes Margaux.

Once the nest is found, David surrounds it with a fence with openings the size of a hand. “It leaves room for the bird to enter and exit as it wants.” while protecting it from dogs and large birds. David and Margaux can also plant stakes around the nest, hung by wires. “The idea is to prevent people from accessing the nest to avoid disturbance,” they explain. This is what Margaux and David are also trying to make understand to the tourists who are starting to arrive.

“In May, over the long weekends, there are a lot of boaters who start to arrive. In July-August it’s at full speed, there are 2,000 people per day.”

It is also in this aspect of raising visitor awareness that they believe that progress remains to be made. It is necessary again “that they also learn what a beach is, a natural environment, and respect their natural heritage as we respect our architectural heritage“, estimates David. On average 200,000 tourists come to this archipelago between April and September.