after swarm

Hello all, I'm new here to the forum. I am a beekeeper in my 3rd year, using Langstroth. As of one month ago, my main hive (2 deep boxes with a new medium on top) was queenright, there were eggs and workers were bringing in LOTS of pollen and nectar. 3 weeks ago, they started preparing to...

Is a cluster of bees on a branch near the hive always a swarm? It's a really small group, and I'm pretty sure no primary swarm has issued from this hive. I did see them in front of the hive, in a gradually increasing dis-organized group, but they never turned into the major cloud of bees that...