Birding Bond

RichardTheBruce

I'm glad you did, @Some_Kind_Of_Hero, 'cause I wouldn't go there. Thanks!

Friday the 13th, Sean S. Cunningham, 1980.
"Sail Away, Tiny Sparrow" (Harry Manfredini, vocals by Angela Rotella)

Sail away tiny sparrow
Spread your wings and fly to the sun
Catch the wind don't let your heart belong to anyone

Sail away sail away from all the sadness and the sorrow
Sail away

All your friends would say that love was made In Heaven
Well the last three years have been a living hell
And all your tears are dry and you have tried to find a way
But there ain't no way as far as you can tell

Go on and sail away tiny sparrow
Spread your wings and fly to the sun
Catch the wind don't let your heart belong to anyone
Sail away sail away from all the sadness and the sorrow
Sail away

So the way to lose yourself fly for freedom
Find the feelings that you're always dreaming of
Try with all your might to see the light within your heart
Know that you're the one you've got to learn to love

Catch the wind don't let your heart belong to anyone
Sail away sail away from all the sadness and the sorrow
Sail away

Go on and sail away tiny sparrow
Spread your wings and fly to the sun
Catch the wind don't let your heart belong to anyone

j_w_pepper

Not all sparrows are friendly and harmless:



AIM-7 "Sparrow"

CommanderRoss

Carlson Sparrow:


Ivanov Aircraft Sparrow ML


Sparrow aviation:



Apparently a predecessor of the Sopwith Pup was called Sopwith Sparrow:



Sparrow in Dutch: Mus

'Als de mussen dood van het dak vallen (van de hitte)'
'when the sparrows fall dead from the roof (from the heat)'.
An expression to state that it is, indeed, rather warm.

And since 2005 we have the 'dominomus', or 'domino sparrow'.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domino_Day_2005_sparrow

RichardTheBruce

The Mighty Sparrow. Quite a self-promoter, fits the island music style, @Birdleson.

Nice coverage of aviation, @CommanderRoss.
With the Carlson Sparrow, I see they come in even more obvious markings.


Also an interesting Domino Sparrow story. Never to be forgotten.

RichardTheBruce

j_w_pepper wrote: »

Not all sparrows are friendly and harmless:

I did start down that road, @j_w_pepper.
The thought was to match the missiles in either Octopussy or Tomorrow Never Dies.

Octopussy, John Glen, 1983.

Surface to air missile, Cuba.

Verdict: Confirmed.
With the fins mid-length, I'd say it's a match. More modern versions are slimmer, but still.

Tomorrow Never Dies, Roger Spottiswood, 1997.

HMS Chester, fictional British warship.

Missile away: HMS Chester to the Arms Bazaar, Russian Border.

Verdict: questionable.
Appears to be an older type of missile, to be honest. No fins mid-length or near the tip.
So I didn't find a close enough match.


AIM-7 Sparrow, an American-designed air-to-air missile. Sparrow missiles used regularly by the US from the 1950s to 1990s (and still in use) plus by Canada, the UK, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Greece, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Australia over the years.



Sparrow, Israeli air-launched target missile.


SeaSparrow missile.



Paladin Sparrow, American powered parachute design.


Sister to the Parahawk, you could say. But again, not a confirmed match.

j_w_pepper

As RTB pointed out, the German word for sparrow is either Spatz or Sperling.

The Dornier Spatz...

...from 1922 was the landplane version of the Dornier Libelle (=dragonfly) flying boat aircraft.

The Scheibe Sperling SF 23...

...is a 1955 small single decker.

j_w_pepper

And here is France's most famous "sparrow", Édith Piaf...

...born Édith Gassion, she later adopted her nickname "la môme piaf" (the waif sparrow, in Paris slang, because she was only 1.42m tall) and became France's most famous singer ever.

j_w_pepper

Then of course, the master himself, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, wrote something that became known as the Spatzenmesse (Sparrow Mass), in C major, KV 220. Here's a taste:

The mass got the nickname on account of "the violin figures in the Hosanna" of the Sanctus, says Wikipedia.

j_w_pepper

And we even have a Spatz car:

The original (split windshield/windscreen), built by Bayerische Autowerke GmbH (not to be confused with Bayerische Motorenwerke) is from 1956 and later developed into the "Victoria 250" (non-split WS) which was produced until 1958.

CommanderRoss

That's a very cute car. Sort of midget toy car.

Revelator

Don't forget the gospel classic "His Eye is on the Sparrow." No one sang it better, deeper, or more movingly than Mahalia Jackson, whose pipes can still touch an old atheist like yours truly:

RichardTheBruce

Worth waiting for, @Revelator. Awesome.

"His Eye Is on the Sparrow" (Civilla D. Martin-lyrics, Charles H. Gabriel-music, 1905)

Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heav’n and home,

When Jesus is my portion, My constant Friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Inspiration for this song comes from scripture and Civilla Martin's experience with the positive spirit of acquaintances Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle.

"Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns,
and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"
(Matthew 6: 26)

RichardTheBruce

No Spatz or Sperling autos in Bond film or print that I could find. Back to tobacco products.

Sparrow Pipe Tobacco, Original Blend.


Traditional nicotine delivery device (House Sparrow Pipe, by Coral Pipes).


New Vape Mod Tesla Sparrow 1300.



Song Sparrow, "Birds of America" series, 1888.
A series of 50 cards to promote Allen & Ginter Brand Cigarettes.


The House Sparrow - British & Foreign Birds,
from a set of 48 cigarette cards.

.........................................................................House Sparrow, Ogden's Cigarettes.

House Sparrow, Gallagher.
British Birds No. 045 (By George Rankin).

...............................................House Sparrow, Player Vintage Cigarette Card Wild Birds No. 36, 1932.

Gallagher's Cigarettes,
The Redbreast and the Sparrow.

The Redbreast and The Sparrow
https://fablesofaesop.com/redbreast-sparrow.html
As a Redbreast was singing on a tree by the side of a rural cottage, a Sparrow, perched upon the thatch, took occasion thus to reprimand him: “And dost thou,” said he, “with thy dull autumnal note, presume to emulate the birds of spring? Can thy weak warblings pretend to vie with the sprightly accent of the thrush and the blackbird, with the various melody of the lark or nightingale, whom other birds, far thy superiors, have been long content to admire in silence.” “Judge with candour, at least,” replied the Robin, “nor impute those efforts to ambition solely which may sometimes flow from love of the art. I reverence, indeed, but by no means envy the birds whose fame has stood the test of ages. Their songs have charmed both hill and dale, but their season is past and their throats are silent. I feel not, however, the ambition to surpass or equal them; my efforts are of a much humbler nature; and I may surely hope for pardon, while I endeavour to cheer those forsaken valleys by an attempt to imitate the strains I love.”

And so, always a critic.

CommanderRoss

Nah, that's just beeing arrogant ;-)

Agent_99

RichardTheBruce wrote: »

German (spatz, sperling).

I spent my weekend in Berlin, where pretty much the first thing I did was go to the DDR Motorcycle Museum. And what should I discover but the Simson Spatz?



If I'd made the trip at any other time, the significance of the name would have passed me by. As it was, I immediately thought of this thread, like the well-trained agent I am.

Simson made a whole family of bird-named bikes, including Spatz (sparrow), Schwalbe (swallow) and Sperber (sparrowhawk).

CommanderRoss

Well done @Agent_99 !!!!

j_w_pepper

Not being East German, even I didn't know that. Although the "Schwalbes" are still all around, even in what used to be the West.

Hope you enjoyed (or are still enjoying) Berlin, wherever you're from , @Agent_99. My seecond favourite city in Germany.

CommanderRoss

Which one is your Favorite @j_w_pepper ? I always love Berlin. Great city, great people.

Agent_99

It was my second visit and I'm in love with the place. Still lots to do and I'm planning to go back sooner rather than later!

j_w_pepper

CommanderRoss wrote: »

Which one is your Favorite @j_w_pepper ? I always love Berlin. Great city, great people.

I'm kind of partial to Hamburg although I prefer living in the suburban countryside (30 km away) and only work downtown. But my wife can proudly quote Kennedy's "Ish bin ine Beah-linah" so I'm there more often than in most bigger cities.

Agent_99

j_w_pepper wrote: »

I'm kind of partial to Hamburg although I prefer living in the suburban countryside (30 km away) and only work downtown.

Hamburg is on the to-visit list for a couple of reasons. I'll be badgering you for tips!

j_w_pepper

Agent_99 wrote: »

j_w_pepper wrote: »

I'm kind of partial to Hamburg although I prefer living in the suburban countryside (30 km away) and only work downtown.

Hamburg is on the to-visit list for a couple of reasons. I'll be badgering you for tips!

Anytime. I'll show you the TND locations, if you wish.

Agent_99

j_w_pepper wrote: »

Anytime. I'll show you the TND locations, if you wish.

Right, we're on, this is happening. Not sure when, but it definitely is.

CommanderRoss

Cool! Whish I could joun you guys, but I'm afraid I'm stuck home for the coming years. Just too many things I have to take care of. I did visit Hamburg once, but I prefer Berlin. Hamburg had too much of a Gotham feel to it for me.

Thunderfinger

I haven t been to Berlin, but would like to go there some day. I did visit Hamburg once. I remember Wanted terrorist posters everywhere, the Reeperbahn and a statue that was tagged down with the words "Sid likes Pizza."

RichardTheBruce

Mockingbird / ˈmäk·ing·bərd / noun
1. a long-tailed songbird, gray, known to mimic other species

German (Spottdrossel). Greek (Polyplottos, multiple languages).

Mockingbird (Mimidae): New World songbird, expert mimics of other birds, insects, amphibians, distinct natural sounds.

Mimus: Brown-backed mockingbird (Mimus dorsalis), Bahama mockingbird (Mimus gundlachii), Long-tailed mockingbird (Mimus longicaudatus), Patagonian mockingbird (Mimus patagonicus), Chilean mockingbird (Mimus thenca), White-banded mockingbird (Mimus triurus), Northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos), Socorro mockingbird (Mimus graysoni), Tropical mockingbird (Mimus gilvus), Chalk-browed mockingbird (Mimus saturninus).

Formerly Nesomimus (endemic to the Galapagos Islands): Hood mockingbird (Mimus macdonaldi), Galápagos mockingbird (Mimus parvulus), Floreana mockingbird or Charles mockingbird (Mimus trifasciatus), San Cristóbal mockingbird (Mimus melanotis).

Melanotis: Blue mockingbird (Melanotis caerulescens), Blue-and-white mockingbird (Melanotis hypoleucus).

Northern mockingbird


Bahama mockingbird

Tropical mockingbird

Hood mockingbird

Galápagos mockingbird

Blue-and-white mockingbird

Blue mockingbird

RichardTheBruce

Live and Let Die, Ian Fleming, 1954,
Chapter XXIII – Passionate Leave

Like dangling emerald pendants the two humming-birds were making their last rounds of the hibiscus and a mocking bird had started on its evening song, sweeter than a nightingale's, from the summit of a bush of night-scented jasmine.

The jagged shadow of a man-of-war bird floated across the green Bahama grass of the lawn as it sailed on the air currents up the coast to some distant colony, and a slate-blue kingfisher chattered angrily as it saw the man sitting in the chair in the garden. It changed its flight and swerved off across the sea to the island. A brimstone butterfly flirted among the purple shadows under the palms.

The graded blue waters of the bay were quite still. The cliffs of the island were a deep rose in the light of the setting sun behind the house.

There was a smell of evening and of coolness after a hot day and a slight scent of peat-smoke that came from cassava being roasted in one of the fishermen's huts in the village away to the right.

Solitaire came out of the house and walked on naked feet across the lawn. She was carrying a tray with a cocktail shaker and two glasses. She put it down on a bamboo table beside Bond's chair.

'I hope I've made it right,' she said. 'Six to one sounds terribly strong. I've never had Vodka Martinis before.'

RichardTheBruce

Diamonds Are Forever, Ian Fleming, 1956.
Chapter 11 – Shy Smile

...

Bond woke on time and there was a wonderful freshness in the air as he followed the limping figure of Leiter through the half light that filtered through the elms among the waking stables. In the east, the sky was pearly grey and iridescent, like a toy balloon filled with cigarette smoke, and among the shrubs the mocking birds were beginning their first song. Blue smoke rose straight up in the air from the fires in the camps behind the stables and there was a smell of coffee and wood-smoke and dew. There was the clank of pails and the other small noises of men and horses in the early morning and as they moved out from under the trees to the white wooden rail that bordered the track, a file of blanketed horses came by with a boy at each head, holding the leading rein right up close to the bit and talking with soft roughness to their charges. "Hey, lazybones, pick yo feet up. Giddap. You sho ain't no Man-O-War dis mornin'."

"They'll be getting ready for the morning works," said Leiter. "The gallops. This is the time the trainers hate most. When the owners come."

They leant against the rail, thinking about the early morning, and about breakfast, and the sun suddenly caught the trees half a mile away on the other side of the track and brushed the topmost branches with pale gold, and in minutes the last shadows had gone and it was day.

As if they had been waiting for the sign, three men appeared from among the trees away to the left, and one of them was leading a big chestnut with a blaze face and four white stockings.

RichardTheBruce

For Your Eyes Only, Ian Fleming, 1960.
"For Your Eyes Only"

...
Mrs Havelock picked up a piece of petit-point and began stitching, her fingers moving automatically. Her eyes went back to the big bushes of Japanese Hat and Monkeyfiddle. Yes, the two male birds were back. With gracefully cocked tails they moved among the flowers. The sun was low on the horizon and every now and then there was a flash of almost piercingly beautiful green. A mocking-bird, on the topmost branch of a frangipani, started on its evening repertoire. The tinkle of an early tree-frog announced the beginning of the short violet dusk.

Content, twenty thousand acres in the foothills of Candlefly Peak, one of the most easterly of the Blue Mountains in the county of Portland, had been given to an early Havelock by Oliver Cromwell as a reward for having been one of the signatories to King Charles's death warrant. Unlike so many other settlers of those and later times the Havelocks had maintained the plantation through three centuries, through earthquakes and hurricanes and through the boom and bust of cocoa, sugar, citrus and copra. Now it was in bananas and cattle, and it was one of the richest and best run of all the private estates in the island. The house, patched up or rebuilt after earthquake or hurricane, was a hybrid — a mahogany-pillared, two-storeyed central block on the old stone foundations flanked by two single-storeyed wings with widely overhung, flat-pitched Jamaican roofs of silver cedar shingles. The Havelocks were now sitting on the deep veranda of the central block facing the gently sloping garden beyond which a vast tumbling jungle vista stretched away twenty miles to the sea.

Colonel Havelock put down his Gleaner. "I thought I heard a car."

RichardTheBruce

Casino Royale, 1967.


Le Chiffre: I see everything that goes on at this table. Nothing escapes me.

Evelyn Tremble: I'm quite sure it doesn't. But, you know, we mustn't forget, that...
[Begins speaking in an Indian accent]
The beggar who is sitting in the market place, he is completely deaf, in so much as far as listening to the song that is coming from the mockingbird, is concerned.

Le Chiffre: I'm sorry, Mr. Bond, I don't get the connection.

Evelyn Tremble: Aw, you will. You will.