“Build it, and they will come.”--The voice...

“Build it, and they will come.”

--The voice to Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) in “Field of Dreams.”

The voice could just as well be referring to the lake at Carl Thornton Park, for since it was built five years ago, the birds--hundreds of them--have been coming.

They fight, they squawk, they frolic, they beg for French fries. And the people who visit the park--a popular spot for workers looking for a nature break during their lunch hour--are more than willing to share their meals with the birds.

The park, at 35 acres, is the second largest in Santa Ana (Centennial Park has 100 acres), according to Allen Doby, executive director for the Santa Ana Recreation and Community Services Agency. The park’s namesake was a longtime Santa Ana city manager, who served the city from 1952 to the mid-1960s. It first opened in 1979, but the three-acre lake--the park’s focal point--was not built until 1985.

Doby said he had no idea how many birds call the lake home, but he does know the city hasn’t contributed to the population.

“We’ve never put any ducks there,” Doby said. “The whole area of Santa Ana is a bird refuge, and when they spot water they land.”

He said the bird population increases in the winter, and the ducks and other birds have begun to breed in the park. However, he added, not all the birds are entirely welcome.

“We’d like to get rid of” the mud hens,” Doby said. “They eat up the vegetation and really peck away at the grass.”

The city may not add to the bird population, but it does stock the lake twice a year with fresh-water fish, much to the delight of the children who cast their lines.

The park also includes a jogging trail and two softball fields, available for rental. The city is installing lights for the field, and night softball should be available in six months.

However, the park’s lure will continue to be the lake and the birds. And for the people who feed the birds, Doby has some advice: “Don’t be disappointed if they don’t eat what you give them right away; they might be overfed.”

Judging by the number of people at the park throwing bread crumbs and French fries on any given day, he may have a point.

Hours: 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily

Address: 1801 Segerstrom Ave., Santa Ana

Telephone: (714) 647-5301 for softball diamond reservations