The chicks have fledged!

Yesterday morning when I got up and went around to say good morning to the flock, there was an extra feathered body perched on a twig in the finches' cage. One of the babies was out of the nest! My first reaction was to how large the chick was....it was almost the same size as the parents. Then I noticed the coloring of its feathers and beak. It is completely gray, even the beak. I am assuming that the adult colors will begin to show after the first molt but I was startled by the beak's color. Winston and Lola both have bright orange beaks. I peeked into the nest and I could see at least one more chick in there but it showed no interest in joining its sibling out in the cage. Winston kept plucking at the sides of the chick that was out on the twig and I finally realized he was trying to get it to fly. About an hour later it was hopping and flitting around the cage almost as well as its parents.

This morning there were two chicks out in the cage. The second baby is a bit smaller than the first but has the same coloring, beak and all. Winston was doing the same plucking motions to this baby and Lola was joining in as well. I took advantage of this moment to remove the nest basket and look inside it. Lola had laid at least 4 eggs, maybe 5, but there was no trace of any other eggs or chicks in the nest. I am wondering if the other eggs were eaten? I am so excited about the chicks being out where I can observe them. I tried to take more pictures but Lola and Winston became very aggitated about the flashes so this one picture of the first chick yesterday is the only one I have so far.