Birdwhistle Rock is a historic site, which was a notable picnic, bird watching and wildflower spot. Noongars, shepherds, and sandalwood cutters, used the rock as a stopping place from Murramucking Well on the track to Harrismith, or to Wayluring Spring and on to Dongolocking. There was water from a spring coming from the side of the rock, which abruptly stopped after the 1968 earthquake, and a walled well that was buried by silt. A line of Noongar gnamma holes is on top of the rock.
There are no facilities. An intense fire devastated the reserve in February 2022. Images below show aerial images before and after the fire.
There are no facilities. An intense fire devastated the reserve in February 2022. Images below show aerial images before and after the fire.
 January 2021 before the fire |  August 2023. Soil type and rocks clearly defined |
One can drive (about 31kms from Narrogin, with 12km of gravel road) via Yilliminning Rock, or Boundain North Road past The old Yilliminning townsite and reserve.
Gnamma holes in granite crack Unlike the Yilliminning Rock inselberg, the Birdwhistle granite outcrop has extensive geological fractures and an east - west trending dolerite dyke on the southern side. As a result there was patchy vegetation cover over much of the rock , which was full of dead trees and weeds from decades without any fire. A bomb waiting to go off.
The 2022 wildfire was so intense that it split rocks and caused the equivalent of thousands of years of rock 'weathering' in a single event.
The rock is roughly an inverted U shape, with a central valley flowing south.
On the western side of the car park is a 40 ha triangle of grass tree kwongan, which is private property.
The 2022 wildfire was so intense that it split rocks and caused the equivalent of thousands of years of rock 'weathering' in a single event.
The rock is roughly an inverted U shape, with a central valley flowing south.
On the western side of the car park is a 40 ha triangle of grass tree kwongan, which is private property.
 Large flakes shed from rock |  geological folds and cracks |  Fire made this large rock split |
Caladenia flava October 2022 Some good news about the fire is that it was so intense that most wild oat seeds were incinerated, which gave native plant species a chance to reestablish. The bad news is bird and animal destruction, although they will gradually recolonise from the adjoining unburnt section of Birdwhistle Nature Reserve.
There was little plant cover in 2022 apart from some fire colonising species, moss, limited tree / shrub regrowth, and some orchids. Caladenia flava, Caladenia integra, and lots of Pyrorchis nigricans.
 Pyrochis nigricans October 2022 |  Resprouting Hakea petiolaris Oct 2022 |  Caladenia integra Oct 2022 |
By mid April 2023 there has been prolific regrowth of wandoos, which are over a metre in height / diameter and prolific seedling growth of acacias, Kennedyia prostrata, rock sheoak and other species. A funky post fire coloniser Gyrostemon subnudis and Stypandra glauca / Lamb Poison native lily are particulary prolific.There will be a mass of blue Lamb Poison flowers this spring, and it will be interesting to see how many orchids flower this year.
 April 2022 |  Gyrostemon growth April 2023 |  Moss/ lamb poison 2023 |
with each succeeding year new plant species will become promininent until a balance is reached in about a decade. This blog shows images of the regrowth at a number of sites.