The weather event of the season was the 13 March "storm of the century" that resulted in the deaths of nearly 50 people, and many millions of dollars worth of property damage. Severe winds accompanying the storm also caused damage to nesting birds. Numerous Bald Eagle nests were blown down, causing the deaths of dozens of nestlings. Nests of other large birds such as Wood Storks, Ospreys, and Great Horned Owls suffered similar fates. Rich Paul reported that 60% of the active Brown Pelican nests at Alafia Banks in Tampa Bay were destroyed, but most of the birds renested.
Another species that suffered nest destruction due to the storm was, surprisingly, the Florida Scrub Jay. Eggs were tossed out of two nests in Archbold Biological Station (Bill Pranty), while 11 nests in nearby Placid Lakes were destroyed, which represented about 30% of the existing nests in that study area (Reed Bowman). Further north in the Wekiva Basin, Parks Small reported the storm delayed the jay's breeding schedule by two to three weeks.
Most observers considered this a good spring for migrants, with impressive totals reported from Fort De Soto Park 6 Apr, the Dry Tortugas 28 Apr, and in the Panhandle 14 May, where Jim Cavanagh estimated 30 Yellow-billed Cuckoos and over 100 thrushes, including 30 Gray-cheeked. Rarities reported this spring included a Red-footed Booby, 2 La Sagra's Flycatchers, a Couch's/Tropical Kingbird, 3 Bahama Mockingbirds, 3 male "Audubon's Warblers", and 2 Black-faced Grassquits. Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks continue to increase their numbers in Sarasota County and appeared in two new areas this spring, and an "invasion" of presumably wild White-winged Doves occurred in Santa Rosa County. A Coscoroba Swan observed at Jacksonville added another species to Florida's ever-growing list of exotics. Lastly, on 2 May 1993, researchers at Archbold Biological Station celebrated the birthday of "-SAY", the first Florida Scrub Jay known to reach the age of 15 years.
Contributors: Brooks Atherton, Lyn Atherton, Stephen Backes, Jocie Baker, Dick Ballman, Jane Ballman, Richard Ballman, Alfredo Begazo, Ted Below, Connie Bersok, Llourdes Bielsa, Karen Bjorndal, T. Bishop, Marge Blackett, Janet Blair, Paul Blair, Jeff Bledsoe, Alan Bolton, Richard Bowen, Tammy Callahan, Dace Campbell, Dan Canterbury, Jim Capitski, Jim Cavanagh, Barbara Center, Ted Center, Gina Clark, Caroline Coleman, Buck Cooper, Linda Cooper, Jim Cox, Tom Crabtree, G. Donaldson, J. Donaldson, Linda Douglas, D. Jack Dozier, Bob Duncan, Lucy Duncan, William Duncan, John Edscorn, Owen Fang, Paul Fellers, Dick Fisher, Courtney Fitzpatrick, John Fitzpatrick, Don Ford, Dot Freeman, Karen Garren, Chuck Geanangel, David Gluckman, Steve Goodbred, Dave Goodwin, Jeff Gordon, Dale Henderson, Oliver Hewitt, John Hintermister, Nanette Holland, Brian Hope, Judi Hopkins, Larry Hopkins, Ann Ingram, Richard Ingram, Nancy Joiner, Herb Kale, Dale Killinger, David King, Howard Langridge, Manny Lopez, G. Lunea, Michael Manetz, Larry McDaniels, Vince McGrath, Jim McKenna, Bob McKenney, Mike McMillian, Dave Mellow, Tony Menart, Jay Mills, Jennifer Mills, Barbara Muschlitz, Katy NeSmith, Kris Nelson, Steve Nesbitt, Karen Ogren, Joe Ondrejko, John Palis, Tom Palmer, Julie Pascal, Rich Paul, Becky Payne, Carl Petrick, Neil Pettis, Peggy Powell, Bill Pranty, Arnold Rawson, Cathy Reno, Harry Robinson, Ron Robinson, Ted Robinson, Ed Rosenberg, Rex Rowan, Sean Rowe, Christine Rucker, Will Russell, Ann Schnapf, Steve Schoech, G. Schubarth, Azota Seaver, Lucy Seeds, David Sibley, B. Small, Parks Small, Andrea Smith, P. William Smith, Ron Smith, Susan Smith, Ken Snyder, Jim Stevenson, Pam Stinchcomb, Doug Stotz, Phil Tetlow, Pete Timmer, Kevina Vulinec, Noel Wamer, Don Ware, Charles Watt, Tom Webber, Ira Weigley, James Weimer, Ann Weinrich, John Wenzel, Terry West, Margie Wilkinson, P. Wong, Glen Woolfenden, Robbie Wooster, Alan Wormington, Paul Young, Jerry Zamer.