Mama Eagle surveys the horizon while watching over her young eaglet. She's looks a little more frazzled than normal, but who can blame her? Those eaglets are a lot of work and who has time to look pretty!

June 20th is American Eagle Day, and this special day was established to commemorate the anniversary of the Bald Eagle's selection as our National Symbol in 1782, to celebrate its physical recovery in America's skies, and to observe the American values, ideals and attributes for which it stands. What a glorious and magnificent bird, and a perfect symbol of the United States of America.

Every now and then an eagle's nest needs a little refresh and upkeep, so while Papa was on the nest with the eaglets, Mama decided to bring back a branch to do her part for the task at hand.

Papa eagle delivers a fish while its mate eagerly awaits so she can feed dinner to the young eaglets. It won't be long before they are poking their little gray, fuzzy heads over the edge of the nest. And they'll be fledging before you know it, within 10 to 12 weeks, as bald eagles are the fastest growing bird in North America.

A bald eagle gives "the stare" shortly after it takes off from its nest. Its mate was incubating the eggs, so it was probably off to the Fox River to grab the last meal for the evening. It won't be long now before the eggs hatch and there will be a new clutch of eaglets to take care of.

A bald eagle banks into the blustery southern wind on an early Spring day near the Fox River in northern Illinois.