To get to Ockley Reserve drive east on the Narrogin-Kulin Road for about 25km 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. Most of North Yilliminning Reserve is upland sand and stony gravel plain, with an extraordinary number of Cowslip Orchid/ Little Pink Fairy Orchid hybrids. Ockley is hillier due to a large south east/north west ridge with breakways with a northerly slope down to the road
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Ockley Reserve also has more variable soils. 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
Water from the long slope flowing down to Armstrong Road from the ridge becomes part of the 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 it hadn't had a burnt for decades and was very weedy.
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.
Number and range of regrowth has varied greatly with soil type, and I have set up photo monitoring points to record the changes in future years. I regret not keeping any images before the fire. Examples shown below show variable regrowth across the reserve.
Numbers on the map indicate locations of following photographs taken seven and sixteen months after the fire.
Water from the long slope flowing down to Armstrong Road from the ridge becomes part of the 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 it hadn't had a burnt for decades and was very weedy.
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.
Number and range of regrowth has varied greatly with soil type, and I have set up photo monitoring points to record the changes in future years. I regret not keeping any images before the fire. Examples shown below show variable regrowth across the reserve.
Numbers on the map indicate locations of following photographs taken seven and sixteen months after the fire.
Reference Point 1 is a gravelly grass tree-Proteaceae gravel ridge. The sparse growth is mainly resprouting shrubs and germinating seedlings.
 Site 1 September 2022 |  Site 1 June 2023 |
Reference point 3 is a red-brown loam valley adjoining a gravelly rise. Before the fire this area was an open mallee- red morrel woodland, with an understorey of bark litter and a sparse shrubs. Trees and mallees have now resprouted, and there has been a huge germination of fast growing shrubs, which depend on fire for seed germination. Thomasia foliosa, which is only occasionally seen in unburnt country predominates on red clay loams, with Gastrolobium poison plants more common on lighter soils
 Site 2 September 2022 |  Site 2 Thomasia foliosa plants June 2023 |  Thomasia foliosa |
Reference point 4 is a potassium felspar granite outcrop with rock sheoak and wattle trees, which was infested with wild oats before the fire. Unfortunately weeds are rapidly coming back.
 Site 3 September 2022 |  Site 3 June 2023 |
Reference point 5 is a steep mafic breakaway with red morrell and brown mallet open forest. Trees have resprouted with germinated Thomasia foliosa and Gastrolobium poison plants below the breakaway.
 Site 4 September 2022 |  Site 4 June 2023 |
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 red morrels have resprouted, dead brown mallets have lost their bark, and numerous brown mallet seedlings have emerged.
 Site 7 September 2022 |  Site 7 June 2023 |
Reference point 9 is a steep bowl shaped breakaway with brown mallet on the upper slope and wandoo- brown mallet below. As with other gravel areas, regrowth is limited to resprouting plants and small seedlings
 Site 8 September 2022 |  Site 8 June 2023 |
Caladenia varians Reference point 10 is a white sand upland plain with 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.
Interestingly There has been a widespread growth of Austrostipa (mollis?) native grass. This was surprising, 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.
Interestingly There has been a widespread growth of Austrostipa (mollis?) native grass. This was surprising, 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 |
Cyanicula gemmata at Ockley Reference point 12 is situated on the northern woodland slope, consisting of wandoos on sand over clay soil, with small patches of red morrel/ mallee/ brown mallet on loamier soil. It was open woodland before the fire.
Most trees have resprouted and there has been a large germination of shrubs, particularly poisons and other pea plants.
In a few years this slope will have a mass of pea flowers in spring. Last year there was a fine patch of Blue China Orchids in a waterway.
Most trees have resprouted and there has been a large germination of shrubs, particularly poisons and other pea plants.
In a few years this slope will have a mass of pea flowers in spring. Last year there was a fine patch of Blue China Orchids in a waterway.
 Site 12 September 2022 |  Site 12 poisons on wandoo soil |  Germination/regrowth on loamy soil |