If you have been seeing a small tree with red fruit that doesn't seem familiar, it may be that you are noticing the hawthorn for the first time. Although I don't know if it's true over a larger area, it seems that the hawthorn is having an exceptional year for producing fruit over parts of central Pennsylvania.

Hawthorns are frequently found in clearings, abandoned fields, and along fence rows. The fruit is a valuable fall and winter food source for a number of animals, including ruffed grouse, white-tailed deer, rabbits, racoons, foxes, and many small rodents. The thick, thorny growth of this shrub or small tree provides an excellent nesting site for many different song birds.