Humphrys flummoxed by blackbird

 John Humphrys is no doubt familiar with politicians who change their tune. But a blackbird that regularly perches on his roof has flummoxed the host of BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

The bird has entertained Humphrys at the same time every day with its soaring melody. But it has recently changed its tune and the “puzzled” broadcaster has taken it rather personally.

“For as long as I can remember he has sung the same fluting melody at roughly the same time every afternoon,” he wrote in a newspaper. “But no longer. I catch a hint of it occasionally, but the tunes are definitely different from last year.”