Backyard and Beyond

This was too high up, on a dead part of a big red oak, to get a better photo, but damn, isn’t it amazing? The Asian Beauty (Radulomyces copelandii) fungus is a recent introduction from Asia, with the first East Coast records in Massachusetts only from 2011. It seems to be moving fast. The Japanese name translates as “Hanging Needle Mushroom.”
Three days later, the stalactite-shapes had some nice caramelization… I guess time will tell if this becomes a problematic species.
Something that could use some caramelization? This is a slime mold, perhaps a Mucilago, on a wood chip pile. Scrambled eggs or dog vomit? Dog Sick Slime Mold is a contender for the ID here, actually.

That’s right, the orange bits are moving. They seem to be Vitronura springtails.Slime molds cover some territory as a term, as explained here. They used to be considered fungi but are no longer. Like animals, plants, or fungi, they are eukaryotes, but they’re not animals, plants, or fungi. They’re Protists.

My boot, at bottom of image, is almost exactly one foot long.
An enormous example of Berkeley’s Polypore (Bondarzewia berkeleyi).
Another large polypore, Black-staining (Meripilus sumstinei).
Details of the Black-staining.

Common Bird’s Nest Fungi (Crucibulum laeve), sometimes also known as White Egg Bird’s Nest fungi. The English muffin form (upper left above) is the early stage. Not sure how it loses its top, but then the “nest” is exposed with the “eggs” or fruiting bodies, as in the lower right.
These were growing on what I presume is coir, woven in mats and used to protect slopes. It rots into the bank, and clearly the fungi are helping it rot.
This is Dung-loving Bird’s Nest (Cyathus stercoreus).
Prolific in a richly-mulched planting area.

Lots of rain, lots of mushrooms. Here’s one.
This orange puff ball is Calvatia rubroflava.
Under a pignut hickory, along with a few remains of others.
And a little further away.