Cuscuta sp., Dodder You have about 10 or more species in your stomping grounds. I think flowers are needed for identification.

Thanks Jay, that's a new one for me. Sure don't want it spreading but don't mind it feeding on the ivy if that's the case. Will it kill its host ? This is part of my creek bank that I'm trying to reestablish with some native vegetation.

The dodder might slightly weaken your (English Ivy.)? But it wouldn't kill it. You'd be better off using a herbicide. Different Cuscuta species would each affect the host plant in varying degrees. Cuscuta is in the morning glory family, and that's what morning glories would look like if they were orange instead of green. I was ripping out morning glories today.