Noel Ureña
Tropical Feathers

Trip Report - Tropical Feathers Tour
March 6th - 20th, 2010
Birgitta Hjalmarsson & Gert / Barbara & Gayle Garlock
Guide: Noel Ureña
331 Species seen during the trip *PDF File*

An excellent trip overall, we had wonderful weather all thoughout, the birds were fantastic. Amazing sightings of Bare-shanked Screech-Owl laying on the first reported nest. A collection of trogons Black-headed Trogon, Black-throated Trogon, Slaty-tailed Trogon, Collared Trogon, Orange-bellied Trogon, Violaceous Trogon, Bairds Trogon and the famous Resplendent Quetzal. Other good birds Herring Gull in Tortuguero, Rufescent Tiger-Heron in Tortuguero, Agami Heron in La Selva, Great Green Macaw nest next to La Selva, also a nest of Scarlet Macaws. An amazing Three-wattled Bellbird male at Arenal Observatory Lodge as we as Yellow-eared Toucanet. Also in Tortuguero we got to see a Mantled Howler Monkey swimming across a canal, my first time seeing something like this - a few seconds before this event we had fantastic looks of Sungrebe.

Dear Noel, your colleages and family

Travelling from Sweden to Costa Rica was an experience for us more than you can imagine. Winter was turned into summer, a few wintering birds were exchanged for a numerous abundance of colourful birds. In our imgaination we had in advance hoped to see the favourites Resplendant Quetzal, Scarlet Macaw, Great Green Macaw, and we saw them all. Our wishes were more than fulfilled. A great bonus was to see the uncommon Bare-shanked Screech Owl lying on its eggs, but why forget for instance the White Hawk and the little fascinating Timberline Wren? Thanks to Noel and his magic rod in the form of his tape recorder, containing all the voices of the birds, they were rushing out of the bushes to show up, even those who had fallen deeply asleep. All the arrangements from Tropical Feathers connected to our trip (6-20 March 2010) were in every detail so well organized and well adapted to the different regions and diversity of species. It has been a favour to have Noel as a guide and been able to share all his collected knowledge of birds in Costa Rica. Our thoughts often go back to Costa Rica and we are looking forward to being back soon again.

Species seen during the trip *PDF File*


"We enjoyed our Costa Rica trip very much. Our driver, Johnny and our guide, Leo did an outstanding job. We saw 221 species of birds in 6 days. Leo certainly knows his birds! I would recommend him as a guide to any one who wants a birding trip. It was nice to meet Noel with his group at the Sevegre Lodge and join them for some birding, as well. We had a great time. All the lodging was quite nice. I would certainly give anyone I know who is looking for this kind of trip your website information. Many thanks for a great adventure"

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We wanted to thank you for leading us on yet another amazing adventure in Costa Rica. The birding and wildlife were fantastic, as was seeing more regions of your country while you shared information about the area and your particular interests. We particularly enjoy sharing our mutual interest of wildlife photography with you ~ it seemed especially great on this trip! ~ Our pictures help us to capture and relive the experience by remembering exactly where we were when the picture was taken. They also help us better identify the birds on our next adventures. And, lastly, they make fun gifts to share with our family and friends. (I've attached a few quick highlights).

La Selva and Carara were the perfect blend for this trip. We had ample time to explore both areas and to begin to absorb the sounds and activities of the local birds. The number of owls we saw was outstanding, as were the life birds such as the agami heron, green ibis, great tinamou, double-striped thick-knee, turquoise-browed motmot, snowy cotinga, rufous-winged tanager, and so many more. We also saw more wildlife on this trip, with the strawberry poison-dart-frog being a special treat.

The only thing that makes ending our time with okay is knowing that we have more adventures planned in the future. Please let us know whenever you have anything special planned and have additional spots open. If we can't make it, maybe one of our Trogonista buddies can.

Take care and best wishes to you and your growing family, and say hi to Carlos and give him a hug for us!

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Noel --

What an excellent trip! I have thought about many moments of it as I've gone through my photos and notes, and I couldn't tell you how many wonderful minutes I collected, strung them together, and made 10 days of it. Wow. Three seconds of perfect viewing of a Fiery-Throated hummingbird, a quick thrill. Visiting the top of Cerro de la Muerte (which I'd read about in Skutch, and been curious about since). The hour on your secret road with the mixed flock, or the flycatcher and hummer at your house. The trip to Osa with Norman was entertaining, the whole drive, and then Bosque de Rio Tigre was truly special. I could go on and on. A Great Tinamou. Those Crakes, don't forget about those!! Wow, and that after that fun time in the mangroves, with the fantastic anole. The Whistling Wren. Those crazy little beetles in the stream. Army ants! ("That's money!" you were funny).

Well, I'm not going to recount the entire trip for you -- you were there for much of it. But you really do a superb job on the whole package, from all the transportation, the lodging, and the birds. I can't think of thing I'd recommend, except for less wind at Carera (let me know when you can command the winds, ok?). Hopefully we were quiet enough to lead about in the jungles and roadsides.

Spring is almost here in Portland, the sun is getting higher in the sky every day, and staying longer. I live here in Portland, and in my daily going about, many times I stop to think of the places in Costa Rica, the birds, and when I think about how I stepped into that world for a few days, and that it remains there beckoning, that's a good thought. I was on-line studying the terrain of Cerro de la Muerte, and thinking how it might be fun to hike down from that. Google Earth is good for that. I followed our route on the dirt road above the hotel on that windy afternoon, looked at the little town with the soccer field. Remembering is good, and I want to thank you for memories that will endure forever. I don't know when I'll get back to Costa Rica - it might be next year, or it might be several. But I want to come back, to find more, perhaps to share with my son or daughter.




Hi Noel,

Hope you had a great Christmas with your wife and daughter?

Arrived home yesterday after our absolutely superb three-week holiday in the wonderful Costa Rica. Thank you so much for your superb organisation of the trip - every transfer, every reservation was smoothly executed. Oldemar was brilliant throughout, always punctual, always helpful and always ensuring we were checked in without fuss - he is a great asset. The guides at each location were excellent, with special mention to Melvin who was also such great company, and to Daryl whose boat trip was such a wonderful, peaceful experience in Tortugeuro. Your own birding skills are awesome - I have complete admiration for your knowledge of birdsongs and calls, coupled to your ability to imitate almost any sound. I thoroughly enjoyed birding with you on the days we spent together.

Overall I recorded 401 species, plus another ten or so heard only. The variety and quality of locations visited was excellent throughout and all have created such long lasting memories it is impossible to single out any one as favourite. Our views of Resplendent Quetzal (16 birds in total at two sites) stand out. After we left you at Villa Lapas I picked up a few 'notable' species or sightings that might be worth mentioning: On 16th we walked into the fishing village on the coast at Carara because I wanted to study Elegant Tern and to see some Gulls. There were good numbers of Franklins and the expected Laughing Gull, but also a 1st winter American Herring Gull. Three Elegant Terns accompanied the much commoner Royals. Of most interest here were the views of up to 8 Scarlet Macaw which were feeding on the fruiting trees on the beach - very easy to see though not as scenic as that great spot up on the ridge! Arenal was awesome though quite cloudy and wet. Our highlights included a super immature Great Curassow and a Rufous Motmot on the Waterfall trail plus the Yellow-eared Toucanet that welcomed us to the lodge! Of possible interest was the sighting of a small flock of 5 Song Wren that were part of a huge flock that crossed the Waterfall Trail on our final afternoon? Our day out with Joni from Flow was excellent - he is a very knowledgeable guy and great company. It rained very hard for most of the day but his motivation kept us going throughout. Our visit to The Springs in the evening was amazing. We did eventually see the Volcano in full glory. At the Hanging Bridges we found a flowering tree below one of the bridges which held a variety of hummingbirds including a male Black-crested Coquette. Out of interest I also had another Coquette here that showed a rusty coloured throat, but nothing is shown in my book that matches? Is this an immature plumage of Black crested? Unfortunately because of the rain I did not have my camera. We also saw a Chestnut-headed Oropendola on the feeders and had excellent views of a very active Two-toed Sloth.

At Bosque de Paz ( a real privilege to visit this place with some wonderful afternoons alone on the forest trails) we were fortunate to have two very close encounters with Scaled Antpitta (one in the Orchid garden and another on one of the trails), roosting Dusky Nightjar and superb views of the Quetzal. I also saw a small bird with various mixed flocks which I have been completely unable to identify - I cannot find anything like it in the book but it did not appear to be rare as I saw it in four separate flocks? It was a tiny (perhaps 9cm) bird that fed actively at the ends of branches in the lower middle canopy (ie not on or near the ground). It often searched for insects under the leaves at the ends of branches. It had the bill of a small wren (eg Ochraceous) a dark eye and darkish legs. Its plumage was fairly non-descript - overall greenish/olive with just a slight yellow wash vertically through the centre its belly. It had no obvious wing bars and just a faint paler eye-ring. It had a large head and a round body with just a short tail. It was active and fast moving. Any thoughts?

At Tortuguero I saw a Short-tailed Nightjar hawking over the forest opposite the hotel and caught up with Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift on Daryl's boat trip. Kingfishers were quite difficult though I got flight views of Green and Rufous. The best bird was seen on the return boat trip - a Collared Plover on one of the sand bars near to the quay! Selva Verde was absolutely stunning - though the Sunbittern eluded us despite considerable effort. The weather on my visit to La Selva was awful, but Lenin persisted and we ended up with a super list of birds - I can only wonder at what we would have seen here had the weather been good! Highlights included excellent views of 2 Little Tinnamou an 1 Great Tinnamou, 2 Great Curassow, a roosting Great Potoo, 3 Pied Puffbird, Long-tailed Tyrant, a male Fasciated Antshrike, and eventually 2 flyover Great Green Macaw. However I suspect the best bird (which wasn't actually new for me) saved itself until late in the day - after birding the trails and forest we ended up along the entrance road into the station checking a small mixed flock before the taxi arrived. I found an Ash-throated Flycatcher which we watched for about ten minutes in good light and at reasonable range. Could have got digiscope photos except neither of us had our scopes due to the heavy rain! Its very pale appearance, with white throat, pale gray head with no contrasting cap, and subtle yellow wash to lower belly and undertail coverts, rusty tail feathers exposed in flight, rusty primary patch and distinct double whitish wing bars were all seen well. Structurally it showed a smaller, less heavy black bill and looked less powerful than Great-crested. According to the book this is quite a rare sighting!

Thank you again and Happy New Year!

Mike and Mandy

Noel/Carlos.

I just want to say thank you for the outstanding pictures, excellent guiding services, sharing of your knowledge and experiences, your warm hospitality, a chance to meet your wonderful family, and last, but not least, providing Joyce and I with many, many wonderful memories. I don’t know when, but I know in my heart we will be back for a return engagement. In closing, I would like for you to know that I was in the grocery store yesterday and passed through the produce section where I saw many mangos in various stages of ripeness. I stopped, hesitated and then walked on by. I knew that, regardless of the origins of this wonderful fruit, it could not measure up to the sweetness and flavor of those Costa Rican mangos so delicately plucked from beneath a tree along one of the many rainforest pathways we traveled last week.

Hasta la vista good friends!




My husband Rod MacIvor and I birded with Noel in Costa Rica two years ago. We could not have asked for more from a guide.

He is a gentleman, smart, personable, and knows about his country. He knows flora, fauna, history, politics, whatever you want-which gives an added dimension to your tour. His knowledge of the birds of Costa Rica is exceptional, and his English is fluent and idiomatic. He can imitate practically any bird call and attract the birds. Most importantly, he is a very nice man whom you will enjoy spending time with.

The beauty of birding with Noel is that he accommodates all members of the party and what they want. Everyone is happy. At the beginning of our four days with him, my husband did not have much interest in birding. He went along to accommodate me, the birder. At the end of the four days, he had turned into something of a birder because of Noel's ability to recognize exactly what Rod needed to enjoy the trip.

If you want to bird from ten to noon, Noel would make that happen for you. If you want to go from 6:00 a.m. to dinner time, then go out owling, I'm sure he would be more than happy to do that. Just tell him what you want. Accommodations will be determined by where the best birding is, and we found them to be absolutely fine. He was well known to people where we went, and well respected.

I can't recommend him highly enough. At the end of your trip, you will feel that you have made a friend for life. We were delighted with him. I think he is one of Costa Rica 's treasures.

Sincerely,



Hi Beatriz:

We cannot recommend your tour too highly. From the first pick up at the Airport to the last drop off at Buena Vista Hotel, Alajuela, there was not a single hitch! The driver was absolutely excellent. He even kept stopping for bird photos and diverted for the Black-and-white Owls on the way to Villa Lapas. (He was well tipped I promise!).

If someone had told me I would spend 5 nights at a study centre with no hot water, no bar and a 1km walk for food and drink twice every day - and pay for the privilege - I would have turned it down flat. Yet, after all the 4 stops we both agreed La Selva was the one we wanted to go back to!! The birding in the secondary growth forest was just tremendous there. (You took a real risk there didn;'t you? 5 nights at the worst accomodation and the worst food! Rice and beans, sheesh!)

Rancho Naturalista was luxury in comparison but the birds and weather were tough at this time of year. The guides were good though. Herman being the best by some distance. Loved the owners who are both crackers but real good fun! A trip out to CITA Botanical Gardens is a must.

Villa Lapas provided the most active primary forest for birds and just the top birding trip the 'Mangrove Birding Boat Tour' is a higly recommended extra for $70 each. We hit all the mangrove specialities and had the whole boat and guide to ourselves!

Finally, doing everything backwards really paid off as we chilled out at the Buena Vista Hotel. Lovely property and the birding at dawn in the gardens and on the 'coffee walk' was surprisingly good! The only Purple-crowned Fairy, Rufous-naped Wren and Plain-capped Starthroat of the whole trip. I was still seeing new birds when the driver arrived!

All in all, the best birding trip ever and I can't sing your praises highly enough. You can print any or all of my comments anytime and refer any doubters to me! Many thanks.