Margaret Alberta (Welton) Whitehead, 94, passed away on Dec. 28, 2020, at the Memory Care unit of Edgewood Vista in Virginia, Minn.
Margaret was born on Aug. 17, 1926, on a family vacation in Lacomb, Alberta, Canada. She was brought into the world in a Welton family home. Her older brother Roy was heard to say, âI ve changed 4 tires, I hope I don t have to change her!â
After the family purchased a ranch on Pass Creek in Wyoming, which they named the Hat Creek Ranch, they first moved from Franklin, Pa., and then Denver, Colo. She grew up on that vast ranch at the base of beautiful Elk Mountain, about 40 miles east of Rawlins, Wyo. The land was sprawling and never ending. It was there in a one room schoolhouse that her dad had built that she and her two sisters attended daily classes. Her three brothers were either working on the ranch or attending high school in Rawlins; as she and her sisters would, as well. They stayed at a boarding house during the week and rode the bus
This week s Bitterroot Outdoor Journal suggests looking at power poles. That s a favorite perch for hawks in the valley, as they survey the nearby fields for scurrying rodents. Bob Danley reported three main species of hawks - American Kestrel, Merlin and Prairie Falcon (photos below). In early afternoon, you can see them along roads in the open country. Some possible locations are the East Highway between Stevensville and Corvallis, Tammany Lane east of Hamilton, and of course, the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge. When you look at the photos, notice the general shape of the bird for easier identification.
By the way, results from the Christmas Bird Count in Missoula resulted in 15 species of waterfowl, 4 species of owls, 10 species of finches and 9 species of hawks. Some top counts were 658 Red Crossbill birds and 61 Bald Eagles. The eagles are often seen soaring in the mid-day in the valley. And always, you can see many, many Canada Geese in the fields and ponds of the Bitter