Candle snuff fungus feeds on dead wood. It can be seen throughout the year, but becomes particularly noticeable around this time. The fruiting bodies look a little like the wicks of part-used candles, short black stalks with white ends during the autumn and winter.
I learned a few days ago that the black surface of the wood forming the host of the candlesnuff is an important part of the fungus, forming a waterproof seal to give the dry conditions the fungus prefers. That was one snippet from a short BBC radio series about fungi: The Fifth Kingdom. The series was repeated on the BBC Sounds app, where it should still be available for a few more days.