Something weird.

[Zingmo]

A new one for me this. I was walking past the log pile and thought "Hello, who's squirted a blob of foam sealant onto that log?"

I poked it. You can see my finger mark. It was very soft .
I think I have identified it now, but do you know what it is?

Z

 

[Nice65]

Very young Birch Polypore? Just a guess, they have to start somehow and Birch doesn’t support many fungi.

Other than that, I’ve no idea, but as it didn’t burst and cover you with alien slime or a swarm of angry insects, that’s my guess.

 

[slowworm]

I think I have identified it now, but do you know what it is?

Z

We get them quite often in our woodland, I know what they are claimed to be but I still think aliens are involved.

 

[Robson Valley]

That birch may not look to have obvious fungal fruiting bodies.
Judging by the crusts (fruiting bodies) I'll bet that wood is very heavily spalted with rot.
Maybe even too far gone for turning or carving = too moldy.
Might be some bark to be reclaimed for small projects (Betula pendula, maybe?)
but it is not likely the paper birch (B. papyrifera) of North America.

 

[Zingmo]

Yep. These logs ended up underneath a bit of malfunctioning guttering.
I'm going to watch this and see how it develops.

Z

 

[Janne]

The wood would look spectacular if dried and stabilized!

 

[Zingmo]

The wood would look spectacular if dried and stabilized!

I made this from one of these logs some time back:

It proved to be just too absorbent for fluids. Then I used it for red wine and it ended up kind of pink!

Z

 

[Robson Valley]

Your ladle surprises me = if the end were more open, it would be a match for the ceremonial water ladles
used here by the Lheidli T'enneh people in their sweat lodge ceremonies.

After studying some of those ladles, I tried to copy them but my birch was too far gone and the bowl parts collapsed in my hands.
Maybe it was a sign that I was not to make them.

 

[Zingmo]

Very young Birch Polypore?

Not birch polypore, although I can see some resemblance. This thing has all the structural rigidity of a soufflé.

Z