Several times a week I bike to a nearby park, and stop and munch on an apple while observing the waterfowl on the lake. A couple days ago I noticed these growths on some bare shrubs bordering the lake.
To me they looked like seed pods, but after submitting this picture to INaturalist I learned that they are galls of the Willow Pinecone Gall Midge.
Everything you wanted to know, and then some here
Who knew? Now I do.