Bracket Fungus on Fallen Oak Near Cliff

Wet air hangs heavy over a salt-sprayed cliff edge where a fallen oak trunk lies half-buried in damp earth. A thick, shelf-like bracket fungus rests on the rough, dark bark, its surface glistening with recent rain. The wood shows deep fissures and patches of pale lichen, against the mushroom's earthy ochre and brown tones. Soft, diffused light from the late afternoon sky washes the scene, eliminating harsh shadows while highlighting the texture of the decaying timber. Sparse green shoots push through the soil nearby, signaling early spring. The background dissolves into a soft, out-of-focus gray wash of sea spray and sky, leaving the fungal shelf as the solitary anchor in the negative space. A droplet of water rests on the jagged edge of the mushroom cap.