Never judge a scarecrow by its appearance.

At least not in Palmerton, where an outburst of bird-scarers appears to have crept up at an alarming rate.Decorated in various themes and wares, the strawmen are actually the result of the borough's third annual Scarecrow Display sponsored by the Palmerton Area Chamber of Commerce.While the majority of scarecrows are located in front of businesses in the borough's downtown, private residences have also joined in on the act. Much like in prior years, participation by businesses has remained high.The displays are available during the participants' business hours, and will remain as such for the remainder of the month, Joan Turko, event coordinator, said.In 2011, the chamber sponsored the event as the beginning of the borough's celebration of the centennial of its incorporation.Anyone with questions about this year's scarecrow decorations may contact Turko at (610) 826-2716, or at

turkoadv@ptd.net.