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Jelly cone fungi are a fascinating mushroom that is easily overlooked despite their vibrant colour. They are small decomposers of conifer wood and appear most often in spring. Jelly cones, because they are among the few translucent mushrooms, offer an irresistible opportunity for photography.

The small stature of jelly cones give us a reason for a closer look at their scale. Here the mushrooms are accompanied by springtails. Wildly abundant, springtails are known to eat fungal mycelium and spores, as well as nematodes, and pollen and plant material. Springtails are ubiquitous when looking closely in the mushroom world but they also inhabit moss cushions and leaf litter.

Brightly-coloured jelly fungi are strange and eye-catching. They ignite curiosity, drawing us into their world where we see and learn more than expected.

Photo on aluminum panel; 100mm, f/11 @ 1/2.5s