I'm sorry to hear that Liza! We have too many of them here! The blues have 1 or rarely 2 pairs locally seen and then we get a swarm (5-6 TRES) near a box with the main pair defending it's box and territory. And Kendra, at my paired sight there is a lake on the next property over and 3 on the property behind it. Site #2 has lakes but you have to move a few properties away. Okay so I was there again today. Swallow pair #1 has a completed nest so that box is locked up. At box #2 I approached to see Mr and Mrs. blue perched on the fence behind it. But of course later on I was again dive bombed. (so annoying! I just stood there in protest) Only a couple of pieces of grass in the box. I still haven't decided. Do I wait to see if the blues win out or double it up? I like the TRES, but it's really irritating that everywhere I go for bluebirds the swallows want every box and always seem to outnumber the blues. It doesn't make any sense. Even Dorene Scriven's "bluebird trails" mentions bluebirders giving up hope of having boxes only for the bluebirds. Ever since waging all out war on the HOSP the TRES have shown up. They can't steal a box from the HOSP but if it concerns the bluebirds, of course! They decide to come take it. UGH! The things just irritate the heck out of me! And this property has hardly any space for multiple boxes. There's too many trees and a fence in my way. Ugh. rather depressing nesting season. I've had enough of these TRES.

I went out today to check the TRES house to see if another egg had been laid. As I stood next to the house, I could hear the Mother flitting about inside. So I knocked on the side of the house to see if she would fly out. She stuck her head out and looked right, then left where I was standing. She staired at me for maybe 30 seconds (as if to say, "yes, may I help you"). She disapeared back inside. Again I knocked. She stuck her head back out and looked straight at me for another 20 to 30 seconds. She went back in, so I opened the box and looked in with my mirror. She was hunkered down on those eggs and nothing I could do was going to pry her off. She had some real moxie, some real chutzpah. I closed the box and walked back to the house. I am still smiling and laugh out loud every time I picture this in my mind. Can you imagine the nerves of steele it took for this little bird to protect her eggs from this big hulking monster (me) looking at her and her eggs. What an inspiration and life lesson these little birds can teach us. Phil

Thank you all! I was taking a little break, meanly too busy with too many things. >>I have tree swallows that like my purple martin house that fell down to about 6' above groundOh dear...everything still OK? >>How far away from the birds were you when you took the pic? About 2 feet, this picture was done with a cheap, second hand point and shoot camera Sony P43, about 4 megapixel, ....and was shot by itself by means of motion sensor/controlboard, camera needed to be hacked, 3 wires soldered inside and hocked up to motion board, this can be programed on how often pictures are taken. Camera and board is put inside a Pelican case/ sealed. 3 holes are drilled, one for flash, one for lens and one for sensor, glass is glued over for the lens and flash hole. Then all you need to do is put it up, in this case there was another tree beside the box, strapped on. Here another one, this one with a Sony P32...3 mega pix. Konrad

Nevermimd, found out my yard is far to small to accompany 2! Oh well. Maybe I'll put one in my front yard.