To get to Ockley Reserve drive east on the Narrogin-Kulin Road for about 25 kilometres and turn right on to Armstrong Road (eastern edge of North Yillminning Nature Reserve). There is only single paddock between Ockley and North Yilliminning reserves but they have many differences.
North Yilliminning Reserve is mostly upland sand and stony gravel plain, with many Cowslip Orchid/ Little Pink Fairy Orchid hybrids. .
Ockley has more ridges and breakaways and more soil variability. Cowslip orchids are common on pale sandy soils, but I found no hybrids. The landscape is dominated by a high ridge on the southern side, which is associated with a mafic dyke (red brown loams and ironstone gravel), and north-west /south-east trending granite dykes (sandy and sandy gravel soils), which are fringed by breakaways
North Yilliminning Reserve is mostly upland sand and stony gravel plain, with many Cowslip Orchid/ Little Pink Fairy Orchid hybrids. .
Ockley has more ridges and breakaways and more soil variability. Cowslip orchids are common on pale sandy soils, but I found no hybrids. The landscape is dominated by a high ridge on the southern side, which is associated with a mafic dyke (red brown loams and ironstone gravel), and north-west /south-east trending granite dykes (sandy and sandy gravel soils), which are fringed by breakaways
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Water from the long slope flowing down to Armstrong Road from the southern ridge-mesa joins east joins headwaters of the Yilliminning River.
The 145 hectare reserve has a triangle of uncleared private property containing a farm dam intruding on the road side, which is now effectively a part of the reserve. There are no roads or trails in the reserve.
I was unimpressed with this reserve when I visited it in 2020, because the shrub and herb understorey was depleted and weedy due to lack of regenerative fire.
There has been a dramatic change after the devastating February 2022 fire. Most weeds were cleaned out and there has been massive post-fire regrowth. I expect a great wildflower show for the next 5 to 10 years.
I set up photo monitoring points to record the changes in future years. I regret not keeping any images before the fire.
Numbers on the map indicate locations of photoreference points I have established to monitor plant growth after the fire. Number and range of regrowth has varied greatly with soil type
The 145 hectare reserve has a triangle of uncleared private property containing a farm dam intruding on the road side, which is now effectively a part of the reserve. There are no roads or trails in the reserve.
I was unimpressed with this reserve when I visited it in 2020, because the shrub and herb understorey was depleted and weedy due to lack of regenerative fire.
There has been a dramatic change after the devastating February 2022 fire. Most weeds were cleaned out and there has been massive post-fire regrowth. I expect a great wildflower show for the next 5 to 10 years.
I set up photo monitoring points to record the changes in future years. I regret not keeping any images before the fire.
Numbers on the map indicate locations of photoreference points I have established to monitor plant growth after the fire. Number and range of regrowth has varied greatly with soil type
Exxagerated elevation map. Brown tinted areas towards the east and south show loamy soils with mallee- Red Morrell- Brown mallet woodland. The pale upland around site 10 is deep sand
Reference Point 1 is a gravelly Balga-Proteaceae gravel ridge. The sparse growth is mainly resprouting shrubs and germinating seedlings.
 Site 1 September 2022 |  Site 1 June 2023 |  Site 1 September 2024 |
Reference point 3 is a red-brown loam valley adjoining a gravelly rise. Before the fire this area was open mallee- Red Morrel tree woodland, with a sparse shrub understorey. Regrowth has been remarkable! Trees and mallees have resprouted, and there has been a germination of previously unreported Alogyne huegleii Wheatbelt Hibiscis on red loam soil. Other fire ephemerals are Solanum symonii,Thomasia foliosa, (which is occasionally seen in unburnt country) and a Hopbush Dodonaea bursarifolia. Gastrolobium poison plants have also germinated and dominate lighter soil ereas.
 Site 2 September 2022 |  June 2023 profuse Alyogyne huegleii |  August 2024 Alyogyne huegleii less dominant |
| Reference point 4 is a potassium felspar granite outcrop with Rock Sheoak and wattle trees, which was infested with wild oats before the fire. Wild oats germinated in 2023 with other species including the unusual Pimelea Argentea. |  Pimelea argentea |
 Site 3 September 2022 |  Sept 2023 dense wild oats |  Sept 2024 shrubs emerging |
Reference point 5 is a steep mafic breakaway above Red Morrell and Brown Mallet open forest on brown loam. Red Morrell trees have resprouted,and there is a scattered germination of shrub understorey.
 Site 5 September 2022 |  Site 5 June 2023 |  site 5 Sept 2024 |
Reference point 7 is a low slope leading from a mafic gravel plateau. Before the fire this was Red Morrel (Eucalyptus longicornis) / Brown Mallet (E. astringens) open forest with no understorey. After the fire the morrels have resprouted, dead brown mallets have lost their bark, and numerous mallet seedlings have emerged. Some understorey shrubs are visible in 2024.
 Site 7 September 2022 |  Site 7 June 2023 |  site7 September 2024 |
Reference point 9 is a steep bowl shaped breakaway with Brown Mallet on the upper slope and Wandoo- Brown Mallet below. There has been dense poison plant shrub germination.
 Site 9 September 2022 |  Site 9 June 2023 |
Caladenia varians Reference point 10 is an sandy upland plain consisting of sandy kwongan deep sand and rock sheoak on sand over gravel. Before the fire sand-loving low shrubs such as Banksia sphaerocarpa with the occasional Nuytsia floribunda Christmas Tree predominated. In the 2022 growing season, growth consisted of colonising native annuals, resprouting shrubs, Cowslip orchids, occasonal Red Beak, Caldenia varians and Caladenia discoidea spider orchids.
There has been a widespread growth of Austrostipa (mollis?) native grass here. This surprised me because I associated native grass meadows with indigenous firestick farming on valley soils. I also noticed the same grass growth this year on grey sandy soil at Birdwhistle Rock.
There has been a widespread growth of Austrostipa (mollis?) native grass here. This surprised me because I associated native grass meadows with indigenous firestick farming on valley soils. I also noticed the same grass growth this year on grey sandy soil at Birdwhistle Rock.
 Site 10 Nuytsia view September 2022 |  Site 10 Nuytsia view June 2023 |  Site 10 native grass view June 2023 |
 10 Young native grass Sept 2022 |  10 Grass cover June 2023 |  10 Lechenaultia tubiflora |
 site 12 mafic loam soil after the fire |  12 Loamy soil September 2023 |  12 Loamy soil September 2023 |
Reference point 12 is situated on the extensive northern woodland slope was open woodland before the fire, with Wandoos on gravel and sandy soil and small patches of Red Morrel/ mallee/ Brown Mallet on mafic loamy patches.
I found relatively few orchids on this slope apart from a fine patch of Blue China orchids in a waterway.
Most trees have resprouted and there has been a large germination of shrubs, which form a mosaic of species corresponding to soil type
Loamy soil areas have germinating Red Morrel trees with loamy soil shrubs such as Solanum symonii, hopbush, and poison plants.
I found relatively few orchids on this slope apart from a fine patch of Blue China orchids in a waterway.
Most trees have resprouted and there has been a large germination of shrubs, which form a mosaic of species corresponding to soil type
Loamy soil areas have germinating Red Morrel trees with loamy soil shrubs such as Solanum symonii, hopbush, and poison plants.
Poison plants, particularly Box Poison and York Road Poison germinated on gravel and sand over clay soil areas
 Gravelly slope after fire, deeper sand in background |  September 2023 rapid poison growth |  September 2024 poisons flowering |
On deeper sands, Gyrostemon subnudis fire ephemeral shrubs germinated in 2022 but were declining in vigour in 2024.
 May 2023 Gyrostemon germinated in 2022 |  Sept 2023 rapid Gyrostemon growth |  Sept 2024 Gyrostemon peak growth |