Miniature Life in a Log Pile

It has taken a couple of days to process these images taken in one of the log piles in my garden - focus-stacked images with 60mm lens plus 26mm extension rings and natural light. The possible IDs are Trichia varia for the first and Hemitrichia spp for second - I need to photograph older stages to be sure according to expert advice. I like the orange peel surface on the first. The next six are various slime moulds (I think) and then a couple of fungi species (Henningsomyces candidus and ?), , finishing with an incredible spider sac with mesh bag - not yet identified to species but so intricate and colourful. 

 

Slime Moulds and Mini Fungi

I was studying one of the several piles of logs and cut wood in the garden that I keep for invertebrates and fungi and found these slime moulds and mini fungi. The first two are a slime mould, Comatricha (nigra) and the next two an intriguing fungus,  Henningsomyces candidus. Next a yellow slime mould plasmodium and ?Jelly fungus followed by two stages of fungus, Hypoxylon ?howeanum. Finally what I started photographing a Woodlouse!! 

Mini Fungi etc at Paxton

Looking on wet logs etc revealed quite a few small fungi species at Paxton today, lots of Collembolids scurrying around and one possible slime mould of a leaf stem (very very small subject!!) plus a yellow slime mould mycelium on a wet log.

 

Paxton's Small Fungi and Slime Moulds

 Very enjoyable walk with Ann and Mike at Paxton on a Slime mould hunt, which proved successful with one definite species and possibly a second one. Ann found an extensive colony of the green Elf Cup. Amazing how many small creatures also lived on rotting logs including Collembolids as on the first image, the appropriately named Winter Moth and Centipedes. When we looked hard at the mossy areas ther were small toadstools still present. Light was poor and images handheld so not great quality!

Small World at Potteric Carr

I stopped at Potteric Car nature reserve yesterday on my way up to Keighly for the YPU Day and spent a couple of hours photographing ' Caps' like the Green Elf Cap, Grey Disco and Yellow Fairy Cap plus several Slime Moulds and minute Fungi. The last image shows Shield Bug eggs plus a small Collembid