July 27 Osprey and Nest on Mysterious Tower

Today I was again exploring South Madison and heard a far away chirping noise that I figured for a bird. I looked around for a minute and to my surprise saw a large raptor near the top of a tower I have never seen before. When I zoomed in with the camera, I found the second bird, and then realized they are nesting on the platform. These are excellent fisherbirds, the osprey (Pandion haliaetus). At 22 inches long and a 5-6 foot wingspan, osprey are almost the size of bald eagles. They fly with their wings slightly bent at the middle, which gives them the distinct shape of the letter "m" when airborne. As I mentioned, they are great at fishing and will dive underwater to catch live fish. Then they fly with the fish pointed straight ahead to reduce wind drag. Smart! This mysterious tower is somewhere a quarter mile northwest of the St. Vinny's on Park Street, so if it's not actually in the Arboretum, it's very close. I'll have to go and see if there are young with these parents later. So many cool birds on tall human-made structures.