Another type of fungus with fruiting bodies which can be spotted even in the coldest times of winter. Candle snuff grows on dead wood: stumps, fallen branches, and sometimes on buried roots.
It looks at first glance like the wicks of many partly-used candles, either blackened or, as here, whitened and possibly black towards the base.
Candle snuff is a year-round fungus, but I notice it a lot more frequently in the winter, perhaps because it shows more clearly when it isn’t hidden by foliage.