Rescued House Finch Just Hatched

This is a house finch who had just hatched out of his shell. The mom who had been tending this nest immediately outside our window disappeared. She had conjunctivitis and was very sick. The eggs were not incubated for over 24 hours. I thought for sure they were not feasible. Nonetheless, I put the eggs in a rubbermaid container with cotton balls, and put the rubbermaid on a warming pad. The next morning, this guy had hatched…I could not believe it!! He immediately went to a Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. I do NOT suggest EVER doing this unless you KNOW the mother bird is dead. This mother had conjunctivitis so badly that she was essentially blind; I was near positive she wasn’t coming back. Also, I have done a lot of rescue and volunteered at the Wildlife Rehab Center. St. Paul, MN, 2006. I found out later that he was very cold and had little body heat. He was put in an incubator. I feel guilty for even having him in my hand like this…do not repeat my mistake.