Here is your brown things in nature fact of the day. If you're wondering what birds made these nests, I've got news for you. They are actually bird's nest fungi! I remember learning about these years ago and hoping to see them one day. Little did I know, I probably walked by them THOUSANDS of times and never saw them because they are only about the size of a pinky fingernail. I first noticed them on a mulch pile and have since come to realize just how ubiquitous they can be!!! So the "eggs" (periodoles) are actually full of spores. Rain drops that land in the "nest" send them hurling a few inches away. Each periodole is attached to the cup by a thin cord called a ‘funiculus’. When they go flying, they wrap that around the nearest twig like Indiana Jones would do with his whip. When the conditions are right, they release their spores. #brown #brownweek #fungi #birdsnestfungi #natureclub

Posted by Mel Grosvenor at 2021-05-08 09:55:50 UTC