Date: 11/13/25 8:33 am From: Ragupathy Kannan <0000013b0ad14faf-dmarc-request...> Subject: Re: Claudia Bailey "found solace beneath the waves and beneath the sky"
I was her TA in UARK 1989-90. She made me a better teacher. Great woman.
On Thursday 13 November, 2025 at 09:45:54 am GMT-6, <jwdavis...> <jwdavis...> wrote:
#yiv5126919256 P {margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;}Thank you for sharing this information about Claudia and yours and Warren's contribution to the management of the Red-cockaded woodpecker.
Jerry
From: The Birds of Arkansas Discussion List <ARBIRD-L...> on behalf of Joseph Neal <0000078cbd583d7c-dmarc-request...>
Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2025 6:46 AM
To: <ARBIRD-L...> <ARBIRD-L...>
Subject: Claudia Bailey "found solace beneath the waves and beneath the sky"
An obituary for Dr Claudia Bailey, long time teacher-researcher at UA-Fayetteville, was published in this morning’s NWA edition of Democrat Gazette. “A lover of the natural world, Claudia found solace beneath the waves and beneath the sky. She studied ocean ecosystems, enjoyed scuba diving, and delighted in bird watching, often spending quiet hours immersed in nature. A devoted traveler, she explored much of the world — visiting North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia — in pursuit of landscapes, cultures, and the beauty of life” according to the obit.I got to know Dr Bailey during my years on campus working with Doug James on the book “Arkansas Birds” (1986). Claudia was Doug’s long time friend and colleague. She was also a regular participant in Fayetteville CBC.Claudia’s lab was just down the hall on 7th floor of Science-Engineering. Her expertise in embryology proved especially helpful in sorting out a puzzle involving Red-cockaded Woodpeckers (RCW).My master’s thesis involved factors impacting nesting success of RCWs on Ouachita National Forest. I worked with Poteau Ranger District Wildlife Biologist Warren Montague and Technician Keith Piles. They had observed unhatched eggs in some RCW nests.Why did these eggs not hatch? And was there something unusual or problematic about this that might play a role in RCW population status? Montague lead the effort in developing a technique to remove these eggs from cavities. The eggs could then be assessed and studied. Dr Bailey had the professional experience to undertake analysis of the eggs. These efforts eventually lead to a publication: “Montague, Warren G.; Bailey, Claudia F.; Neal, Joseph C.; and James, Douglas A. (1993) "Unhatched Eggs in Nests of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers,"Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science: Vol. 47, Article 20.”Available at: https://scholarworks.uark.edu/jaas/vol47/iss1/20So Claudia was part of an effort – ongoing by the way – to protect a bird once thought headed for extinction. Efforts on the Ouachita NF turned the bird’s population around, in a positive direction.Many thanks to you, Claudia. And to all of you, too, willing to make the effort to make the world a better place for all creatures, great and small, human-plant-ant – ALL.
