Birds of a Feather

n the catalog of birds that populate the field where we live, at the foot of the Santa Cruz Mountains, I keep a kind of spectrum in my mind, beginning with the turkey, a frequent visitor, and ending with the great blue heron. Though both are substantial in size, they are worlds apart in deportment. Whereas the wild turkey could be called a commoner, the heron is as regal as they come. Sometimes, driving home, I pull into our road and see one standing in the field across from the mailboxes. The bird in question usually has its eyes fixed on the