Spotting

The largest was 25mm, some appear larger due to being fused, the specimen I discovered earlier in year was more individual. You may be correct about the limits of a slime mold being exceeded, I have looked at both fungi and slime molds for an ID and had no luck.

It looks fungi to me but I guess the important thing here is the size. Slime mold structures are very limited size-wise.

It is definitely a fungus or slime mold, I have found the same organism several times, every time it is found growing from a well decayed log and not always same species. This specimen was growing among some carbon ball fungus, could be source of the black balls. The liquid inside had a pleasant odor, and at maturity the organism produces yellow spores. It is my understanding if you find a "puffball" and it contains goo instead of spores it is a slime mold?

I don't think it is, but I can't say for sure. It's an old stump and now that I think about it, it may not even be a stump but the top part of the tree... I don't remember and will have to go look at it when we open this morning...

Could it be some resin coming from the stump which was drying with a crust on it?

I'm not sure its a slime mold but I don't know what else it would be... The biggest one was probably about an inch or so across and when I checked on the stump it was on a couple days ago there was more and it seemed to be spreading on some grass growing beneath. No sheep, this was found in a protected wildlife sanctuary.

Those little black balls are curious things? Any sheep around?

Are you sure of slime mold? Something doesn't seem right to me. What size was it?