Many of today’s break-through ornithological studies come off the back of GPS tags, DNA analysis or crunching huge sets of data. But, as the three main papers in this month’s issue show, good old-fashioned field ornithology is still alive and well – and is still driving discoveries. Dedicated and systematic observation of Water Pipits leaving their roost has not only shed light on the species’ behaviour in Britain, but also raised questions about the size of the wintering population. Using data from a much longer series of observations, an intensive study of Skomer’s Guillemot population has allowed the effects of 2023’s bird flu outbreak to be calculated.