Weather conditions this summer were hot and abnormally dry, but much standing water remained from the stormy spring season. Rich Paul wrote that the weather was responsible for colonial wading birds having their most successful season in the Tampa Bay area in a decade.
The ninth breeding report for Ruddy Duck was established in Hillsborough County in May. Harry Robinson's ocean watches from Canaveral National Seashore continue to indicate that observations of pelagic species from the shore are regular events on days with strong NE winds. This May and June, Harry observed four shearwater and three storm-petrel species, Brown and Red-footed boobies, and an Arctic Tern, all from shore! The genus Catharacta was verified for the state in June, when a South Polar Skua was found in Brevard County. A Fork-tailed Flycatcher was observed for one day only (as is typical) in Highlands County, and the male Bahama Mockingbird summered on Key West for the third consecutive year.
Contributors: Howard Adams, Bruce Anderson, Brooks Atherton, Lyn Atherton, Alfredo Begazo, Ted Below, Paul Blair, Dave Breininger, Jane Brooks, W. Burkett, Jim Cox, Ele Colborn, Leslie Cooperband, Fred Cull, Jack Dozier, E. Egensteiner, John Epler, Linda Epler, Duncan Evered, Paul Fellers, G. Fishman, John Fitzpatrick, Clarice Ford, Don Ford, S. Futch, Red Gidden, Jeff Gore, Wayne Hoffman, Larry Hopkins, Julie Hovis, Herb Kale, Jerry Krummrich, Tony Lewis, Lorne Malo, Michael Manetz, Lyla Messick, S. Metz, Brian Millsap, Tom Morrill, Ron Mumme, Fran Muraski, Henry Mushinsky, Barbara Muschlitz, Katy NeSmith, Steve Nesbitt, Rich Paul, Becky Payne, Neil Pettis, Peggy Powell, Bill Pranty, Bob Richter, Harry Robinson, Ted Robinson, Jim Rodgers, Rex Rowan, Ann Schnapf, Steve Shimmel, Dave Simpson, Andrea Smith, Becky Smith, H. Smith, Ron Smith, Doug Stotz, Dana Struthers, Dave Sumpter, P. Van Thiel, Noel Wamer, Don Ware, Jim Wheat, Robin Will, Debbie Wilson.