#ABArare - Western Wood-Pewee - Missouri

On June 9, Chris Hobbs discovered and audio recorded a Western Wood-Pewee at Lake Lotowana near Lee's Summit, Missouri, in Jackson County.  Pending acceptance, this is a first state record for Missouri.  The bird was refound, and photographed, in the same place today (6/10).

Video recording by Chris Hobbs, used with permission. 

Chris writes of the report: "Driving through Lake Lotawana this afternoon [6/9], I heard a Western Wood-Pewee call. Stopping the car, my wife used her iPhone video to obtain audio. As it would happen, I didn't have binoculars and never saw the bird. From the street, we listened to it call for 30 minutes (3:45-4:15pm) before we had to head home."

Lake Lotawana is located approximately 30 miles southeast of Kansas City, Missouri.  From KC, take I-70 east to Blue Springs, where you'll turn south on MO-7.  Travel south 10 miles before turning east (left) on E Colbern Rd, then turn south onto Lake Lotawana Rd at the city hall.  Turn west (right) on NE Lake Shore Drive.  The bird was heard between 38 and 50 NE Lake Shore Drive. Lat/Long is 38.9375, -94.2594444444444.

Please note that this is a private neighborhood!  Birders should be especially sensitive to the residents when chasing this first state record!

Western Wood-Pewee is a resident nester across much of the western half of the continent from southern Alaska to Mexico.  It is extremely similar to Eastern Wood-Pewee, averaging slightly browner with a more conspicuous breast band.  Vagrant Western Wood-Pewees are best - perhaps only - distinguished by voice.

The species has a history of vagrancy in the eastern part of the continent, with records in Indiana, Minnesota, Virginia, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Ontario. 

Thanks to Ryan Douglas for his help gathering information for this post