moss and ??? on log

Question: I am obsessing on trying to ID this thing on the log to the left of the broom moss.  It was at a preserve in Oyster Bay Cove, Long Island, NY.  My grandson thinks it is a wasp nest, but it has a different structure. My plant app (Picture this) thinks it is a fungus, but my pic does not match theirs.  help!!  thanks, Judy

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied February 28, 2023, 2:23 PM EST
response: Unfortunately, our group cannot answer your question because it doesn't serve your location (outside MD/DC). Please contact your local Cooperative Extension office for assistance. A good way to find your local office is to go to https://extension.org/search/ and enter your county or parish name along with your state name. You might also use your favorite search engine and enter "cooperative extension" along with your county name.

responder: The Question Asker Replied February 28, 2023, 2:33 PM EST
response: Oh, thanks for getting back to me - I had tried that first, but the plant people did not know, and I was looking for a dept of entomology.    If you can give a little hint…..  (just kidding)….  JudyOn Feb 28, 2023, at 2:23 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied February 28, 2023, 2:38 PM EST
response: Hi Judy,  While we're not completely familiar with all the natural elements to the landscapes in New York (though there would be lots of overlap with Maryland's, certainly), our best guess is that this is simply decaying wood (perhaps the lines in the structure visible are old tree rings, where the wood in between is decaying at a different rate). Although we don't think a fungus itself is visible here, fungi are largely responsible for wood decay (compared to bacteria), in combination with wood-boring insects, some of which target wood at different stages of death or decay. We agree this doesn't appear to be an old wasp nest, which would appear more like thin paper with hollow areas in between where the nest cells (hexagons, as in honey bee combs) would be located. Submissions to the app iNaturalist can sometimes generate decently-accurate identifications, but in this case if it's nothing living (if it is decaying wood), we're not certain how useful it would be...but you could certainly try and see what you get. (If it's using A.I. for identification it might focus on the moss instead, though.)  Miri

responder: The Question Asker Replied February 28, 2023, 2:52 PM EST
response: Miri, thank you, you are kind, and I really appreciate your flexibility.  Once having seen it, I keep looking for similar things on other logs, but have not found any.  Thanks so much, and if it is raining in MD as it is here, keep dry!  JudyOn Feb 28, 2023, at 2:38 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied February 28, 2023, 3:33 PM EST
response: You're welcome!