Marie Read / Common redpoll (Carduelis flammea), male perched in alder (Alnus rugosa) during a snowstorm in winter, New York, USA, January.

Kerstin Hinze / Red crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) feeding from a spruce cone, Bavarian Forest National Park, Germany, October.

Jack Dykinga / Agave (Agave utahensis) close up of spines with Pinyon pine cone (Pinus edulis) wedged amongst them. Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, Arizona, USA

Ernie Janes / Small Tortoisehell Butterfly (Aglais urticae) on cone flowers (Echinacea) in garden with greenhouse in background England, UK, August.

John Cancalosi / White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) sniffing spruce cone. New York, USA, January.

Jack Dykinga / Looking down into the leaves of an Agave plant {Agave utahensis} with Pinyon pine cone {Pinus edulis}, Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, Arizona, USA

Konrad Wothe / Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

Tim Fitzharris / American Painted Lady (Cynthia virginiensis) butterfly on Coneflower (Echinacea sp), New Mexico

Jim Brandenburg / Coneflower (Echinacea sp) field, Wisconsin

Oscar Dewhurst / Clark's nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana) feeding on Pine (Pinus sp) seeds. Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA. September.

Claudio Contreras / Coyote (Canis latrans) walking in the snow amongst pinecones. Sierra de San Pedro Martir National Park, Baja California Peninsula, Mexico. December. Digitally enhanced image.

Claudio Contreras / Sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana) forest in evening light. Sierra de San Pedro Martir National Park, Baja California Peninsula, Mexico. June 2011.