Narrator: Underdog starts building up strength with short flights to nowhere.

Only two weeks remain before the chicks’ maiden flights.

Summer along the Mississippi seems like a carefree season, but new challenges lie ahead.

At the hatchery nest, the eaglets are still growing their flight feathers.

Underdog and his sister are closer to independence. And no one declares independence without taking risks.

This nest is about 60 feet off the ground. Both eaglets are jumping up and down and wing-exercising and getting ready to make their first jump-off-the-nest, the first journey into the sky.

Nearby, other young eagles are already on the wing.

It must feel really wonderful to have, have your first flight under way and feel the wind rushing by.

The landing is the tricky part.

Underdog tests his engines at full power.

His sister seems to have cold feet.

The wind picks up, and Underdog leans into it…

Neil Rettig: There are misconceptions that birds are taught to fly but really it’s totally instinctive. They do chase their parents around, however, possibly to steal fish and also because they’re bald eagles, they’re social.

Print Transcript