The zebra finches....Lola and Winston

Pet Smart is like a crack house for me....I have no self control. On the way there my heart is racing and my hands are shaking, just thinking about what I am going to buy. I usually go there for one thing, like a new cuttle bone for the pionus and come out with bags of things....pig's ears for the dogs, toys for the parrots, magazines and books. Saturday, I went there for some Nutiberries. I left with finches. I don't know if anyone has ever noticed this, but a finch is an incredibly cute little bird. They are constantly in motion and make the most pleasant little "Nyah nyah nyah " noises. I don't know why I didn't notice them before. I usually do not look seriously at the birds in Pet Smart because of the prices. I prefer to buy from small local breeders. But on this occasion, there was a large sale sign and a very crowded enclosure full of zebra finches. I stopped to look and was hooked instantly. I immediately went to the book section where I found a book called Finches by one of my favorite bird people, Rebecca O'Connor. (Her book A Parrot For Life is my bible when it comes to information about my birds) I took this to be a sign, so I speed read through the section on zebra finches and started to gather the things I would need to make their cage comfortable. I rationalized all my purchases by reminding myself that I already had a large budgie cage at home that would be perfect for them. So I bought branches, finch seed, millet,a cute little basket nest, nesting materials and of course, the finches. Thanks to the book (which, of course, I also purchased) I was able to tell the males and females apart and bought one of each. I named them Lola and Winston.
Let me tell you that they are the most soothing little birds to sit and watch. I love to watch them hopping and flying from perch to perch. And while they are not the kind of birds that enjoy being held or handled, they are very used to people and are not startled at all by my hands in the cage. The cutest thing of all is at night when all I can see are two little orange beaks, side by side, sticking out of the nest basket. While reading the book, Finches, I discovered that some of these birds can live together in mixed flocks! Has anyone ever noticed how cute owl finches are? Or Lady Gouldians? Or......