I'm cross-posting my 'vous reports to TCI and TCC so everyone can read where they hang the most.

On Thursday afternoon I was helping Tim Kovar and facilitators Will (Tangler), Michelle and Carolyn set up the Enter into Tree Time workshop. We were climbing trees to assess and getting things ready on the ground for the Friday workshop. Near the end of the setup time an Osprey snagged a fish in the river next to the workshop area. I saw it just as it pulled up out of the water, a big raptor, especially up close. So that was cool. After we were done we walked down the "fairway" a wide grassy area separated from the river by a strip of woods. Just around the bend of the fairway heading upstream a Loblolly Pine caught my attention. It was on the river side, looked to be a 110 footer, not super tall but very interesting. The trunk was clean, not a live or dead branch until the first branch at 75 ft. It had a slight lean, enough that the ascent would be all air until reaching the TIP. The trunk in the crown made a series of S curves heading up, plenty of gnarl and thick branches, the tree was standing alone well above surrounding smallish hardwoods. In the exposed position it looked like the top had been broken off several times, each curve representing break and regrowth. Will and I walked around the tree to assess it and look for a potential TIP. By now the tree was calling to be climbed, at the least promising a great view of the river. At about 80 ft. there was a fat stub protruding 8 ft. towards the river, perched on the stub was our Osprey shredding a fish. A raptor on food does not like to move so it tolerated us standing there and examining it with binoculars. Treeman showed up on the scene with a ropes course dude who was assessing Simpsonwood for some future gig. We all had a good look. The ropes course guy lifted his arm and pointed at the bird, at that moment the Osprey partially spread its wings and leaned forward. Just a note: when you point at a bird, it will likely think it is about to be shot. It was a moment of indecision for the Osprey food or flight? Like I said, it takes a lot to move a raptor off food. Must have been a very hungry bird, it settled back down and kept eating. We waited another 15 minutes and the Osprey finished its meal and headed back over the river. Then we started throwing to set a rope, that's another story.

I will say that once up in the tree Will pointed out a considerable amount of "whitewash" on the hardwood leaves below, indicating that this was a regular eating and resting location, so he named the tree Osprey Cafe.
-moss