There’s a route I regularly drive to check out the region. One place that appeals to me is the end of McKown Point.

The road out to the Point is loaded with great vistas. I can’t wait until seasonal residents depart so I can visit their views.

Nothing worse, I’d imagine, than a family summer weenie roast invaded by some old duffer waddling across the lawn looking like an escapee from the local camera club. Nicer not to disturb.

As is most popular to say, “having said that” ... on a recent run to my West Harbor spot, I was startled and captivated by this week’s scene.

Just up the hill from the Coast Guard Station, atop a very congested power pole, sat a turkey. What an unusual place for one of these goobers to be hanging out.

They are everywhere these days.

I ditched the car and scrambled for my long lens. This is wild, I thought. And the crazy thing is hardly moving. I couldn’t believe it! One false move, smoked turkey!

A lady walking her dog up the hill stopped to watch me running around. She sat down, which concerned me, so I went to see if she was OK.

“It’s plas–” she gasped. “It’s plas–” she said, laughing hysterically. “It’s plas–,” her body was heaving in breathless laughter.

Her dog, I swear, even seemed to share an incredulous grin.

Finally, she gathered herself. I tried to explain what I was doing and asked if she had seen the turkey on top of the telephone pole.

She blurted, “It’s a plastic decoy.”

Oh.

Footnote: It seems the decoy was placed there on purpose to keep osprey off. Their nest building branches shorted the lines causing power failures. I knew that! Can’t fool me.