May 28, 2003 -- Five Days Old
These photos were taken in late afternoon on the day we found Shadow. We estimate
his age at about five days old. His eyes have begun to open in these photos, although
he still mostly squints them. Warmth is very important to a nestling this age,
and so we keep Shadow's homemade "nest" inside a cardboard box placed
atop a heating pad set on low. He eats a dog food based handfeeding mixture every
15 minutes or so. He hollers for food and gapes very well. The funny thing is
that he is never quite sure when he's full, and so he will continue gaping no
matter how many scoops of food we give him.
My first
photo, taken in the late afternoon on the day I was found. My eyes were beginning
to open, and I mostly kept one eye shut or squinted.
