Cetti's warbler

Others, such as the Cetti's warbler, which colonised the UK some decades ago, are expanding their range north.

The ninth movement, for instance, is devoted to Cetti’s warbler, a cute little brown bird with a violent call, yet one incapable of breaking the spell of a small tributary that is heard flowing with such rich harmonies that it may be the river of love.

A Cetti’s warbler greets my approach from within a dense tree with an explosive, sweary outburst – another Cetti’s warbler answers behind me.

The lagoon is an important stop for migratory birds, particularly the Cetti’s warbler, grey heron, eastern imperial eagle and the flamingo, who all lay their eggs in Küçükçekmece.

Populations of bee eater and Cetti’s warbler – species with a southerly distribution in Europe – have increased in recent years, while more northerly distributed species such as willow tit and brambling have been declining in the same period.