Gibby, there are RARE instances of TRES having a 2nd brood. I had a brood of 4 TRES that fledged and within a week or two another nest was started in the SAME box AGAIN wtih 4 eggs! They are now all hatched but still very young. However, I have so many TRES around here (sometimes 4 - 7) in a flock around my boxes. With bluebirds they are more territorial and seem to lay fewer eggs so there are (unfortunately) less of them than TRES. That's why I encourage others to pair their boxes or take them down if all you have is TRES. It's only doing more harm than good and the purpose behind our boxes is to increase bluebird population, Not necessarily TRES. TRES face the same problems but somehow there are many more of them than bluebirds.

Yes, you should clean that nest out. With any successful fledge you want to remove an old nest. But TRES are so much messier than the blues and I mix some Clorox with water and spray down the usually-tarry walls. I find this not necessary with the blues.

Sorry you missed it! I've never been able to witness TRES fledge. But I have seen blues almost every season take their 1st flight.

As ohsoblue says, they rarely nest more than once, and then usually only after a failed nesting attempt. Mine fledged last week, and purely by luck, I was able to witness it. The really neat thing about swallows in general is they have a tendency to site fidelity (especially males), so you may see the same male come spring. I had the same male return for years. I knew it was him because his perching spots and behavior were identical from previous years. This year I had a new male with completely different perching spots and behaviors. This pair was very secretive and untrusting of me. They successfully fledged their young, and then they were gone. I expect to see this new male again next spring.

This year was probably the same one as last, but I'm not sure. I have other boxes up, but no blues this year again. I enjoyed the TRES, but I enjoyed the blues more when I had them. May be next year. Thanks for info