Plants & Bulbs

» TLD6255 - strange substance in mulch

I have a small pond w/goldfish & frogs; there is also a small creek 30 yards away with dozens of ducks. Several times lately I have found something strange in the wood mulch surrounding the pond: it has the look & consistency of 2-3 cups of vanilla pudding poured into a puddle! At first I thought a neighborhood cat or dog had gotten sick - eww, sorry, but it sort of looked like that. But it's happened half a dozen times since, and sometimes has a yellowish tinge. If I wait a day b4 washing it away w/the hose, there is a crusty/grainy layer beneath the squishy top. I see the ducks foraging in this area often so I at first suspected them, but then someone mentioned it could be some sort of fungus.
Anyone have any clues???
(I live in central Ohio if that helps, in a suburb.)

-- posted by TLD6255