According to the Pennsylvania Society or Ornithology, the Red-headed Woodpecker is an uncommon but year-round resident here in Adams County, Pennsylvania. And I must agree with that assessment since I often see them on the Gettysburg Battlefield, especially within the 95-acre tract of land known historically as the Emanuel Harman Farm (purchased in 2010 by the Gettysburg Military Park). But in the seven years I've lived here in Gettysburg, I can't recall having seen one at my backyard feeder, though possibly, I have. 
You can imagine my surprise to see a Red-head this morning, taking turns at the feeder tray of black-oil sunflower seeds with another woodpecker, one I see daily--the Red-bellied. Well, excited by the sighting and that I captured a good photo (I obtained a few more when the Red-headed returned a couple hours later), I logged onto eBird.org to submit my "find." I was, however, surprised to find the Red-headed Woodpecker flagged as "Rare." So I checked the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's web site allaboutbirds.org to see what they had to say. Cornell also identified the Red-headed Woodpecker as a year-round resident over much of Pennsylvania but "Declining."
Of late, I've been generating a table of Pennsylvania birds, those who migrate through, live here year-round or seasonally. Collecting this data from my favorite two web sites (allaboutbirds.org and https://pabirds.org/index.php) has been sobering, for many more birds than I ever realized are fast declining. This fact makes every sighting somewhat bitter sweet, even those of reliable regulars. The joy of birding is in the unexpected pleasure of seeing or hearing a beautiful expression of being. Birds bless this world, and we should bless them in return.
Until next time . . . Keep birds in your heart!
Georgia Anne
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