Steve and anyone else visiting the area ... remember that you will need a Peabody WMA Use Permit for every person in the party ... not just one per vehicle. They are available for $12.50 and can be purchased at the Minit Mart on US 231 at Exit 75 off the Western Ky Parkway. Also remember that a permit purchased in January will only be good thru February 2007. If you pay the $12.50, be sure to get a WMA map (if they are out they are not supposed to be). The best area that folks have been posting about is near the jct. of roads S1 and S2 in the Sinclair Unit of the Peabody WMA. This is in Muhlenberg County south of Central City. You take US 431 south from the Western Ky Parkway 5 or 6 miles to the traffic light in Drakesboro. Take a left (east) onto KY 176; go past the long lake on the right and turn in at the wide concrete pulloff (watch for coal trucks Monday thru Friday). Immediately after turning right onto the concrete turnoff, bear right onto the gravel WMA road (S1); this winds around and up hill then right to take you to a jct at the top of the hill. This is S2. If you take S2 to the left there is a wide flat area immediately on the right; you can walk to the top of the far rise here and look out over much of the area. You can also continue either way on S2 and hit what I call the S3 "loop" at either end (you'll turn right onto S3 if you are going east on S2 and left onto S3 if you have chosen to go west on S2). Farther east on S2 is also S5 and some owls can be seen along here. I do not suggest attempting to walk during the day to flush up the roosting owls. This causes undue disturbance. Several (5-10) have been coming up by about 4:00 CST each afternoon lately yielding good views before dark. Colder, calmer days are best. You can also run into some at dawn, but evening is probably best. Mark Bennett counted about 11 Short-ears from this area yesterday evening on the Paradise CBC. Also, Amy and I had at least 4 American Woodcocks calling yesterday morning along S5 but if this mild weather continues, you should be able to enjoy performing birds anywhere in the area after sunset as well. bpb, Frankfort ________________________________ From: birdky-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx on behalf of Kistlers Sent: Thu 12/28/2006 8:18 PM To: Bird line Subject: [birdky] owl question Can anyone point me toward a good spot at Peabody to see short-eared owls? I have an atlas and a Peabody WMA map. I'll be coming from the east. Thanks, Steve Kistler