Treasures in leaf litter

I've been down and dirty today, checking piles of leaf litter that gathers in ditches and hollows around woodland at the nature reserve. It paid off! It's been a puzzle that we haven't recorded earthstars at the reserve for about 4 years, when they used to be found regularly before that. Anyway, I found my first one for quite a while today - a lovely large Collared Earthstar, Geastrum triplex. I'm sure there will be more lurking in the leaves.

And, there was a bonus! Right alongside I found a number of stems of Pipe Club, Macrotyphula fistulosa, a fungus I haven't recorded at the reserve before (see extra photo). I think late autumn may prove to be quite interesting this year.