yesterday, on lake barkley in kentucky, i was watching a pair in a nest for over 2 hours. they were taking turns bringing limbs to enlarge/repair the nest. i had previously assumed they just picked up limbs floating on the water or lying on the shore. these birds took turns, they never left the nest unguarded, flying above trees and then diving down into the outside edge of the trees bare limbs grabbing a limb with both talons. with the accelerated speed and body weight the osprey just snapped the branch off and then flew to the next with the limb. they used their beaks to weave the limb into the next.