It's hard to tell from the pics but is that Lichen? It grows on my BB branches (among other plants & trees) and is especially heavy this year. I've been told it's harmless but when it gets "fleshy" enough to remove by hand I remove the larger clumps.

Thank you for your response. It doesn't look like lichen but hopefully it is.

Could you try taking another picture? The camera seems to have focused better on the bottom of the plant than the top. Sometimes it help to hold a piece of paper or something behind the part you want in focus. Is that a normal bud in the upper left of the closer picture, or more of a ball on the end of the branch? (It's hard to tell from the angle.)

BlueberryBundtcake, you are right, the pictures are not great. Here is one more attempt.