Messy Eater - Answer
A Squirrel!
Answer: Squirrels don't hibernate in the winter, so they spend the fall dropping pine cones from the tops of the trees onto the ground, then stashing them someplace secret for eating during the winter.
Usually squirrels eat the cone seeds from the safety of a tree limb. This squirrel enjoyed an afternoon in the sun but stayed near the hole to his cone stash for a quick escape in case of trouble. The pile of cone scraps left behind is called a midden.
This article published on July 19, 2012