Planned trip - when you do not have car in Tokyo (1 Viewer)

I am out again in Tokyo for meetings and have a couple of days on the weekend before flying back. One of the major obstacles has always been that some of the best sites have been only accessed by car.

I am planning one of the days as follows and I will mention how I get on when I get back.

Tachikawa Train station (west Tokyo) 5am leave
Arrive Osio at 0650
Walk to Terugasaki for 0710
Spend a couple of hours for the white bellied green pigeon
Then back to Osio for Train to Zushi
Taxi to Kawakubo junction
Walk to Futagoyama
Spend rest of morning and afternoon with Japanese paradise flycatcher and any other small forest birds.
Possibly walk back to Zushi
Train back to Tachikawa from Zushi.

Total cost of travel should be 4000 Yen (Trains and taxi), so about 30 GBP. There is a 7/11 at Kawakubo junction so I can get food there.

The other day I may be birding with someone at a local river in the morning and then I would need to decide what I will do for the rest of the day.
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Last year I went up to Karuizawa Yacho-no-mori, again possible without a car. Next year, I may see about extending stay to travel more.

For future reference: http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=16125

Thanks Stuart, I will keep it in mind for future.

I did the trip as planned, arriving at Terugasaki at 0710. The White-Bellied Green Pigeon were coming in flocks of 20-30 (upto about 50), and flew over the heads of everyone down there. So managed to get some really nice photographs.

By 0810, I was satisfied with having seen over 500 Pigeons so headed back to the train station to head from Oiso to Zushi. Other birds saw were Black Kite, Large Billed Crow and Wagtail (could not see if pied or Japanese).

Arriving at Zushi, I need to ask for directions as I decided to walk to Hayama. Turn right out of the east gate (Hayama exit) and head Right and then left to join the 311. It is a 40 minute walk, but just as well I did as I managed to get a bird, now identified as a Chinese Hwamei (I would have missed this if I took the Taxi).

I grabbed something to eat at the 7/11 and headed per the instructions from Mark Brazil's website, which were very easy to follow. If in doubt of directions, just say "San-ko-cho" to any local and they should point in the general direction.

The forest walk was very nice, and maybe about a half km walk before one of the nests was found. It would have been nice to visit in a couple of weeks time for feeding the chicks(mid june) as the female Japanese Paradise Flycatcher was sitting on the nest. The male would sometimes replace the female.

Other birds seen were Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Blue and white Flycatcher and Eastern Crowned Warbler. Heard many more, one of which likely Japanese Robin, but was a rather elusive bird.

Total cost 2600 YEN on trains, 400 YEN on food.

On my other trip, I went to Akigawa River with some work colleagues, one of which we were introducing birdwatching to them. It was a success with a good number of usual Japanese variety birds of white-cheek Starling, and Brown-eared Bulbul. For the first time I saw a Meadow Bunting (likely Oriental) and also the Brunniceps variety of Zitting Cisticola (sounded and looked different but flew the same) (Thank you bird forum for helping me identify).

If I was going by train, use Akishima Station and then it is 1-2 km walk. If interested, let me know and will happily include coordinates. I would recommend both areas.

I finished the day off later with a little walk around Showa Kinen Park, which included Azure Winged Magpies.