July 2, 2003
Refused all handfeedings today. Today Shadow would not accept any handfeedings at all. He squawked
and ran away from me angrily each time I offered him food. However, he eats
by himself very well and has a normal amount of droppings. We are very surprised
by him seeming to wean so early, and we still intend to offer him handfeedings
several times each day for a while. So far he has done everything earlier than
our other starlings.
Ever since Shadow
was a week old, his daddy has been referring to him as "she." He feels
certain Shadow is a girl even though we cannot yet tell the gender by looking
at Shadow's eyes. (I think he just wants another girl starling to spoil as he
has done with Stormy!) One thing for sure, we have never had such an independent
baby bird!
These will be among
some of the last photos taken of Shadow while he in his full set of brown baby
feathers. His molt will begin soon, for today he lost his first feather.
Those
big starlings had a terrible fight tonight while out together, and this photo
shows me watching nervously to see if the folks will let them back out of their
cages. See my pretty brown feathers? Mom says I look like I'm made of chocolate.
I'm on
my playstand playing with the bracelet mom gave me. Sometimes I carry it all
over the room, and when I drop it behind the couch I expect someone to get it
for me right then!
