The fruiting body of the bird’s nest fungus forms a small cup that reminds me of the remains of an old barnacle shell. I see them perched on small twigs on the forest floor along the Incense-cedar trail. When these cups form, they contain spore sacks, known as peridioles, which resemble tiny eggs. Raindrops fall into the cups and splash the small sacks out into the surrounding area spreading the fungus. I’m uncertain as to when these formed, and I wonder if the small, light brown formations around the cups are associated with the fungus. Maybe these fruits popped out with the first rains at the end of summer. I’ll try to check in on them throughout the fall to see what happens.
This creature is pretty small. It’s about the size of the cap that goes on a bicycle tire,. They are not too tricky to spot if I take a minute to carefully scan beside the trail.