The Wonderful World of Fungus – Part 2

After last week’s rains, the Kampina near Oisterwijk revealed a hidden kingdom—one that thrives quietly beneath our feet. This week, I set my lenses to macro mode and explored the intricate, often overlooked life of fungi and slime molds.

First, I found Rickenella fibula, a tiny moss-dwelling mushroom just a few millimeters tall, its orange caps glowing against the green carpet. Nearby, Mycena stylobates stood on delicate stems, their translucent caps perched above fallen leaves. Looking closely, I could see the long, thread-like hyphae weaving underneath—nature’s living network, breaking down leaf litter and recycling nutrients.

Then came the slime molds. One bright orange species looked like clusters of tiny eggs, each a potential transformation into a spore-bearing structure. Another, still a mystery to me, appeared as a single white, chalk-like sphere on moss—perhaps the fruiting body of another slime mold, or something else entirely. Nature loves to leave puzzles for us to solve.

After hours in this miniature world, I reached the heart of the Kampina and paused at a weathered workman’s hut before heading home. My Canon 5D Mark III with MP-E macro lens captured the fine details, while the Canon 7D Mark II with Sigma 100–400mm kept watch for the bigger picture.

Next up: Part 3—The blooming heath and wildflowers of the Kampina.

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#MacroPhotography #Canon5DMarkIII #Canon7DMarkII #Sigma100400 #MPE65mm #FungiPhotography #RickenellaFibula #MycenaStylobates #MossLovers #TinyMushrooms #FungusAmongUs #SlimeMold #Mycology #MushroomLovers #FungiMacro #ForestFloorFinds #NatureCloseUp #DutchNature #Kampina #Oisterwijk #WildNetherlands #MushroomSeason #MicroWorld #FungiFriday #InstaFungi #MycoBeauty #ForestMagic #MossAndFungi #TinyWorld #FungiOfTheNetherlands #MacroMagic #MushroomArt #SlimeMoldSpotting #MysteryMushroom #SporeLife #NatureDetails #HiddenNature #WildlifeMacro #NatureObservation #CloseUpNature
Another parasitic, non-photosynthetic plant we saw on our hike yesterday. Apparently, it is known as ghost pipe. Amazing!
#hiking
#forest
#forestplants
#forestfloorfinds
#forestfloor

I’ve had Canada Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense) growing in several places around my house for years. It spreads across the ground, forming a carpet of fuzzy, heart-shaped leaves. The flowers are easy to miss; check for them at ground level early in the season.

#NativePlants #ForestFloorFinds #SpringPlants #WoodlandGarden #CanadaWildGinger #AsarumCanadense #ShadyGarden #MidwestNatives #NativePlantGroundcover #HiddenFlowers #UnderstoryPlants #Minnesota

keadamander (@[email protected])

Spikes and Sunshine #photography #ttartisan #ttartisan50mmf12 #yellowblooms #wildbotany #springawakens #leafandflower #macro_perfection #naturecontrast #shineonleaves #springdetails #botanicalvibes #naturecloseup #wildflowerphotography #forestfloorfinds #greenandgold #plantlifephotography #flowerfocus

Pixelfed