A recent trip to the greatest place in the DFW Metroplex (the LBJ Grasslands), yielded some interesting discoveries.  I have displayed them beginning with the least exciting to the most fascinating (and my proudest).

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I was walking through a shaded part of the forest near Black Creek Lake.  This mushroom caught my eye and although the area was infested with poison ivy (show me a nature preserve that isn’t) I decided to go down on all fours to get the shot.  You don’t get a sense of scale but this mushroom is very small.

I walked further in the area and spotted this interesting mushroom that collected water.

I continued my journey, (just a few feet away) and spotted this unusual looking specimen.  I tried doing a search online but surprisingly, the key words, “fungus that looks like a periscope” yields nothing useful.  If anyone has ideas or hints on what it is, please post a comment.

This last photo makes me happy.  I took dozens of photos with both my cameras – hoping at least one turned out.  Several did but I chose this one with my thumb to show scale.  I did a search online and again, my keywords of “fungus that looks like scoops of ice cream” turns up nothing useful.  The smaller mushroom might also be a clue to identification.  I was too focused on the ice cream fungus to get it in focus.

 

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Notes:
Cameras:  Canon G16 and Canon EOS 5D Mark II. (Soon it will be time to upgrade to a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV.)
Lens:  My beloved 100 mm macro lens (Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L macro IS)
Date:  September 18, 2016
Location:  LBJ National Grasslands