Lichens Along the Fencerow

It was a drizzly morning the other day, and the lichens on the boulders along our old fencerow were calling me to come for a closer look.  An early spring chance to get out the macro lens and see what I could capture.  So here are a few of the interesting lichens I found.  I really must find a book that would help me learn to identify these - recommendations would be welcome!

Many of the lichens grow in a circular pattern on the rocks, with what look like fruiting bodies in the centre, and the foliose scales reaching outwards.

These structures in the centre of some of the lichen patches are fascinating, though you don't see them until you take a very close look!

Some of the lichens are very foliose, with tiny scale-like leaves making a thick patch on the rock.

 Others are very thin and plain, just a light grey crust on the rock.

This is one of my favourite big boulders with its lichen garden.  Standing back from the fencerow, this is what attracts me to come and have a closer look.

And in other corners on the boulders, once I was really close and hunting for different lichens, I found these pixie cups.  In fact I found whole tiny forests of pixie cups in several places, though they're a challenge to get a clear picture of, needing a tripod to provide enough depth of field for a clear focus.  I'm going to have to try a few more of these.

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