Thanks to Pam for searching the internet to find a couple of websites that identify my blue mold I wrote and pasted photos of in my previous post. It's Pulcherricium caeruleum, a blue fungus that grows underneath logs. According to this University of Wisconsin website, this fungi is one of over 100 fungi species that live on the underside of logs. Pulcherricuym means "most beautiful" and caeruleum means "blue." Actually, when I first looked at the color, I thought it reminded me of a watercolor pigment which is named "Cerrulean Blue." Another website she listed had a photo almost exactly like mine, not too surprising since the fungus was also on a poplar log.
This is why I appreciate the nature blog community so much. Nina identified an unknown shrub in an earlier post. It was Japanese barberry, an alien shrub. Earlier this year, Owlman identified a bird's nest as probably made by a chipping sparrow. That led me to my field guide to confirm it. Posting and reading posts help me to learn more about the natural world around me. Thanks to all of you.
