Visiting Tokyo in May; want to go birding somewhere else as well (1 Viewer)

Hi all,

I will be going to Tokyo for work on 6-10 May, staying near the Imperial Palace, where I've birded before (but only saw about 10-15 birds.)

This time I also have time to leave Tokyo for 2-3 days afterwards and I was wondering where in Japan would be the best place to go birding for such a short trip (I can fly or take a train but don't want to take car) to see the most different amount of species.

Any suggestions would be most welcome.

Thank you,

Martin
(Washington D.C.)

Hi Martin,

I also bird without a car and will be planning my own trip when I am out on business in June.

Karuizawa is easy to get by train. I managed to do this as a day trip, with taking an early morning Shinkansen (Bullet Train), then local train and walk. I plan the train beforehand using hyperdia.com and then there is an app that I use whilst I am there. That should get you some nice forest birds, including flycatchers (narcissus and Blue&white), Bull-headed Shrike and Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker. (probably saw about 20 species)

Visiting Terugasaki and Hayama are good places in easy reach for Tokyo for White Bellied Green Pigeon (drinks sea water) and Japanese Paradise Flycatcher respectively. http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=325390 is the rough plan of what I did in the day. Not a high number of species, but the pigeons are an awesome site to see.

Also there is a nice little spot on the Tama river here. Meadow Bunting and Zitting Cisticola were down there, and again probably saw 15-20 species although included some very common.

I have been tempted at going to Miyakejima (Izu Islands) which is a ferry ride from Tokyo but I have yet to take the leap for it. It is due another volcanic explosion though and then will not be possible to visit for at least another 5 years (although there are other Izu islands).

If you need more details, then let me know.

Kibet said:

I have been tempted at going to Miyakejima (Izu Islands) which is a ferry ride from Tokyo ....

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By far the nicest excursion from Tokyo, superb seabirds from the ferry (on route back, dark on route out), plus good island endemics.

Easy to do in one day if need be - evening ferry out, arrive on island very early a.m., bird till 2 p.m., then ferry back. It is time to get all the endemicss.

Could then pop up to Karuizawa for another day.

Thanks both. These sounds like great ideas! I'm going to research and let you know when I have some more questions. Will be a great opportunity. I assume these areas are totally safe, as Japan pretty much seems to be everywhere.

Best, Martin

martinboer said:

Thanks both. These sounds like great ideas! I'm going to research and let you know when I have some more questions. Will be a great opportunity. I assume these areas are totally safe, as Japan pretty much seems to be everywhere.

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Totally safe ...unless Miyakejima decides to erupt

Other than volcanoes and earthquakes as Jos noted, Japan is amazingly safe.

You could leave a $1000 camera on a bench in a crowded subway station for an hour and the only reason it would not be there when you got back is because someone took it to lost and found. o