I know that the two words in the title of this shot don't normally go together, but in this case, I think it works.
I was exploring the course of this stream not too far from our house to see if there were any interesting pictures to be had. I hadn't gone very far in the cold and rain when I decided that A) there weren't any 50 yards/meters into the woods, and B) there might be in better weather and/or in the spring.
Just as I turned around to head back to my truck, this pretty little formation of fungi* presented itself at about the level of my shoulders. So up went the tripod, and I grabbed a couple of shots.
It turns out the stream isn't all that great as a subject, but it makes a wonderful backdrop.
*Any biologists reading this? If so, what is the proper name for a group of fungi? Herd? Flock? Pride?
EDIT: You can discover anything on the interwebs! There's a site called fungusID.com that uses AI to identify a fungus picture you upload. This beauty is Tremella foliacea, also called leafy brain, jelly leaf, and brown witch's butter. It is described as "edible but not desirable."
Such an interesting find and a lovely composition. I don't know if you use Google but I've discovered Google Lens. If I long-tap on your photo and select Google Lens it finds similar pictures and tells me what it is. I use it quite a bit when people post photos of places or plants so I can find out more about them.
