Yellow bird's nests

I was walking the dog through the woods this morning and noticed some small yellow waxy shoots poking their way through the fallen beech masts. They were growing in the deep shade of the beech trees and seemed to be the only thing growing there.

These are yellow bird's nests and are quite an unusual find. They are one of very few plants that contain no chlorophyll, forming a parasitic relationship with fungi to obtain their nutrients. They're not to be confused with bird's nest orchids, which also contain no chlorophyll, as these are not orchids.

I found some chanterelles growing nearby and picked up a vertebrae to take home for Bug Mad Girl (probably a squirrel or a rabbit).

Chanterelle

Vertebrae (maybe of a squirrel or rabbit)

The sun even came out for a while and I saw speckled woods, marbled whites, ringlets and two huge green and black dragonflies, that flew all around me but refused to settle for a photograph. What a beautiful morning!