1.   In her preparations, the female eagle goes to great lengths to promote the survival of the birds she will hatch.

2.   The female eagle laid her eggs early this year, one right before the storm hit and one right after.

3.   True to form, the female eagle is at the nest an hour later, perhaps thinking her offspring is a prodigy because of the bass at his feet.

4.   But the female eagle who laid those eggs died last year.

5.   In March, the female eagle was sitting on the nest, and in April a chick hatched.

6.   It takes about six years for female eagles to become sexually mature and two more years for the males.

7.   It takes about six years for female eagles to become sexually mature and about eight years for the males.