Eloyes Hill, Treasurer

What do you do for your day job?

I’m a retired medical technologist who went over to the veterinary side after 4 years in a human medical facility. I continued to do some lab work in the Veterinary Diagnostic Lab at North Dakota State University as part of my position with the Veterinary Technology Program. Eventually all my time was spent teaching the laboratory subjects in the program.

What hobbies or interests do you have outside of birding?

I have been in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary for nearly 16 years and am currently the Commander of our local flotilla. I’m active in many areas and in the summer I use our 22’ C-Dory as an Auxiliary facility for safety patrols mostly in the harbor and St. Louis River. Our members also volunteer in other capacities with Coast Guard Station Duluth, the Aids to Navigation Team, Marine Safety Unit and the Coast Guard cutter. One of my most relaxed activities is volunteering at the Great Lakes Aquarium on the second floor where I might talk about shipping, Crush the 50-year-old snapping turtle and a bit about geology and the last 4.5 billion years since the earth formed! I like the busy days because I often get to meet people who know more about my topics than I do.

How did you get into birding?

When I lived in Arizona little old ladies would go birding in the desert wash next to where I lived. They amused me and now, later in life, I am one of them! But it was my father, I know, who was the most influential. He was a hunter, a fisherman, a taxidermist and always an observer of the birds and animals around us.

Do you have any destination birding dreams?

Not really. Wherever I go I always am on the lookout for birds that are new to me. I also love my backyard birds (and even the squirrels), they always catch my eye.

Favorite Bird?

Hmm. These past several weeks I’ve really been enjoying the many redpolls at my feeders.

What is your favorite place locally to explore for birds?

I go to the local hotspots and have made many trips to Superior “by Menards and the airport” where those elusive snowy owls continue to elude me.

What is your most surprising birding experience?

When my two step-daughters were young I got them up when it was just getting light to go for a walk. We lived on a Minnesota lake and the first thing we saw was a cat with its perked-up ears sitting on a log down by the lake … and then the “cat” stretched out its great horned owl wings and lifted off!

What are your hopes for Duluth Audubon?

At a minimum to continue having our great monthly programs. At a maximum, to be more active in areas of education, local conservation efforts, citizen science projects and more field trips. I would also like to see our membership grow because within larger groups, there’s a better chance of more people wanting to be active and participate.