Existing comment:
A Plentiful Harvest
The abundant seeds of piñon and juniper trees draw wildlife to this ecosystem like a magnet. Chipmunks, foxes, piñon mice and squirrels munch the blue or copper-colored juniper berries. The berries last through the winter. They provide food for hungry robins, waxwings and Townsend's solitares. Scrub Jays and Clark's nucrackers collect the large piñon nuts and store, or caches, them for winter use. Piñon jays can transport up to 60 seeds at one time in their throats! Humans also enjoy piñon seeds. The Ute Indians have gathered the tasty pine nuts for thousands of years. Today, many people enjoy the nuts in pesto sauce. |