Very well written.
This really pulls you in and makes you care about the bird, and reminds you how quickly you can bond with an animal that relies on you to take care of it.
If you find yourself taking care of a baby bird again, try giving it honey dissolved in water and let it try to drink it out of a spoon. I don't know if it will work with wild birds, but I have successfully nursed sick baby chickens back from near death this way. Another thing I'd have to watch for when taking care of baby chickens was making sure that poo hadn't crusted up around their bum and plugged it.
So as gross as it is, yeah you kinda need to check that. It's what a mama bird would be doing. Also remember that they need someplace warm and cozy to sleep. A box lined with towels or something under a lamp would be fine. It needs to be warm when you put your hand under it at the level the bird will be but not hot.
I had one baby chick that hatched two days before the rest of the brood (using an egg incubator).
It wasn't doing very well. We were hand feeding it and checking on it a lot and finally decided to give it this tiny little stuffed animal that was its size.
That chick cuddled that stuffed animal until the rest of its brothers and sisters hatched and then they cuddled each other.
So I think baby animals need that feeling of comfort and companionship.