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.

​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.

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.
A huge wildfire in February 2022 apparently destroyed all vegetation and wildlife. I have been able to witness how intense fire can split rocks and cause the equivalent of thousands of years of rock 'weathering' in a single event.
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​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.

​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. 
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.

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.

with each succeeding year new plant species will become promininent until a balance is reached in about a decade. I am setting up reference sites to photograph the procession

The reserve is 52 km east of Narrogin. Drive on Yilliminning Road, turn right on to Line Road (gravel) past the old Toolibin townsite and park next to the old dam at the  Wedin North Road Intersection. 

​Most of the reserve is on either side of Wedin North Road. There is a small section adjoining Wedin Road on the south side of the railway line, which adjoins a large area of salmon gum -  wandoo bush on private property. Ruins in the bush are  remains of the abandoned Jensen farmhouse (visiting not permitted).
The reserve has very smooth landscape, which is typical of the area. From a ridge at the highest point at the north-west corner, the land slopes smoothly down to open forest flats adjoining Line Road. Vegetation changes due to slight and usually unnoticeable changes in slope or soil type form a mosaic with many different types of wildflowers. Blue lines show old drains to the dam. They can be handy in finding your bearings in the bush.

Numbers shown in Map 3 show spots of interest.

Spot 1 is mainly an open Wandoo sand over clay flat, which is the best orchid country. Look for ​Caladenia hirta subsp rosea / Pink Candy Orchid Caladenia polychroma / Josephs Spider type orchids, Caladenia falcata / Fringed mantis orchid. Caladenia flava / cowslip orchid, greenhood orchids, sun orchids and a leek orchid.

Spot 2 on the western corner has a beautiful mosaic of sand over gravel kwongan shrubland interspersed with patches of lovely spindly Eucalyptus albida. To visit this spot you can park in an old gravel pit on the eastern side.  

If you follow the second drain from the west, you will come to spot 3 where  the slope changes  from the valley to the ridge. This is scenic country, which is dotted with flowering shrubs in spring. 

Spot 4 is a fire access track at the top of the reserve with a wide range of kwongan shrubs which change and alternate with mallee scrub as you drive along the track. I found purple enamel orchids near the eastern end.

Spot 5 is  Red Morrell - mallee open forest with few understorey shrubs growing on dolerite clay loam soil, which adjoins ironstone gravel with scattered gravel pits.

To view a google Photos album of Wedin wildflowers click this link

​Tutanning Nature Reserve is a 2381 area of remnant vegetation on a broad ridge 25km east of Pingelly. This relatively infrequently visited reserve offers a remarkable and diverse display of flora and fauna for visitors, and short stay camp style accommodation for limited numbers at the Percy Marshall Field Study Centre.

It is a great place to

• Enjoy the  peacefulness and solitude of a secluded area with basic facilities.
• See a wide range of plants, animals and birds.
• Walk the Tutanning walk trail and internal roads
• Go spotlighting for animals on foot or by 4WD vehicle.
• Drive or ride your mountain bike on internal roads. 4WD vehicles with good clearance are strongly recommended when driving in the reserve. Internal roads are narrow and often rough, with some very sandy and rocky sections.

Cars and wagons can drive in but the entry is too narrow for caravans and large RV campervans.
​As this is a class A nature reserve,camping and pets are not permitted.
See this website for more information on accommodation and activities at Tutanning

The reserve is elongated with a very uneven boundary because it is the rocky remnant of a divide between  the Avon and Hotham River catchments called the Dutarning Range. Farmers have cleared most surrounding arable land leaving an undulating rocky and gravelly upland. A relatively recent addition is the Annexe, which was purchased and connected to the main block by a narrow corridor. Apart from an impressive grove of Red Morrell trees, the landscape is similar to the main block. There are some winter wet areas so use a 4WD if going there.
This blog describes the southern part of the main block, which is easily accessable from the house and is fairly representative of the reserve.

Granite basement rock varying in quartz (sand) content, has been intruded by lines (dykes) of dolerite and then cracked by continental movement to create (mainly) southwest-​northeast and northwest-southeast patterns. You can see this from river flow directions. About 100 million years ago a lateritic gravel surface formed. In succeeding dry and wet weather cycles the laterite eroded and reformed many times to create an upland with ironstone and gravel ridges and breakaways, kwongan gravelly sand upland bowls and mixed soils on slopes and valleys.
Soil and landscape variability underpins the amazing 750 species of native plants, and the many birds and animals in the reserve. Diversity is greatest in the upland kwongan heathlands, which have mixed shrub communities.
Vegetation is a good indicator of soil type, although Rock Sheoak trees (Allocasuarina heugelii) are gradually invading other plant communities

Click this link for a  Google Photos album containing images of wildflowers and landscapes.

The map below shows internal roads and the walk trail. The roads are fire access tracks, which are annually maintained, and many no longer have signposts. My 2-wheel drive ute can negotiate most of them, but some sections marked in red are only suitable for 4WDs. Many are narrow, rutted and stony and it is difficult to turn around if a problem is encountered. If you are unsure, it is a good idea to walk or ride your bike ahead to avoid getting stuck. I get good WIFI reception with my Telstra phone , but the nearest reliable assistance is in Pingelly.

Tutanning is excellent hiking country, and internal roads make good (occasionally bumpy and sandy) mountain bike trails for the moderately fit. The map below shows three interesting circuits. 

A 3km Class 3 walk trail (yellow), which crosses Bandicoot Road takes up to 2 hours to complete. You may encounter minor natural hazards such as short, steep sections, steps, shallow water crossings and unstable or slippery surfaces. A good level of fitness is recommended.
As the southern section, which is mainly lateritic breakaway and gravel country  is more difficult and has less wildflowers, many prefer to only walk the northern section and return via Bandicoot Road (2.2km).

​A longer but easier (green 3.5km level 2) walk along Bandicoot, Possum and Echidna Roads features many shrub wildflowers on white and yellow sand, and gravel kwongan shrubland. Vehicle sand hazard.

The south-eastern corner of the reserve is interesting country, which features relict jarrah trees, impressive breakaways,  granite outcrops and attractive views of neighbouring farmland. A 6km level 2 circuit via Jarrah Road and the southern boundary (blue) is a good walk to see this country. The length of the walk can be reduced by cutting south down Numbat Road or a poorly marked track at the jarrahs. Bandicoot Road up to Jarrah Road is car friendly, but do not drive down Jarrah Road.

Greetings fellow Foxies,

I have been reflecting on the recent fire, which severely burnt sections of North Yilliminning and Birdwhistle reserves.
Most plants in our bush are adapted to fire, but both reserves had been unburnt for about 50 years and were littered with dead material, which fuelled a very hot fire.
Annual plant seed on the surface or rseed etained on plants., was obliterated. Survival of seed in the soil varies with depth of burial.
Woody root plants which regrow from soil lignotubers (most eucalypts) and root suckers should survive well and resprout in the next few months.

Geophytes are fire tolerant perennial monocotyledons, which resprout from dormant underground storage organs each growing season - rhizomes, bulbs, corms and tubers.
The ability of geophytes to resprout at the break of the season enables them to outcompete annuals, and they survive hot and frequent fires. Unfortunately, many invasive weeds are geophytes, and some also have contractile roots, which draw them deeper into the soil. Introduced Guildford grass has spread through most loam and duplex soils at the expense of native annuals.
​Rhizomes are swollen underground stems, which are very common in sedges, rushes, Haemodoraceae (kangaroo paws), and  some native lilies. Depending on depth,  rhizomes provide fire resistance, however in the absence of fire, rhizomatous plants can take over from plants that depend on fire for seed germination. The image below shows the effect of a hot fire in Foxes Lair after a decade. The left side (unburnt for decades) has mainly mature rock sheoaks with a dense sedge understorey. To the right, fire has stimulated a range of shrubs to grow  from  buried seed, and has reduced sedge density.

Bulbs have a thickened stem base of modified leaves, which store nutrients. Examples include onions and introduced lilies such as daffodils, hyacinths, tulips, and Easter lily. Some Haemodorum species (bloodroots) are bulbaceous.

Corms are swollen stem bases filled with starch, which sit on the root base. These are very common in native and introduced geophytes. Natives include many lilies, sundews, and triggerplants. Some of our most aggressive introduced weeds (oxalis, freesias, watsonia) are cormous.

Tubers (swollen storage organs which form on roots and underground stems) are present on all our orchids and many native lilies, and many are bush tucker foods.
​Grass trees and zamias have above ground, fire resistant growing points called caudexes.

I will peg some spots in these reserves and see what comes up