Tracking migration

In a Washington Post article earlier this week, "Figuring Out Birds’ Migrations, Motivations," the reporter presented the scenario of a bird that spends time in a balmy locale, flies thousands of miles north to lay eggs and raise young and then flies thousands of miles south to a tropical climate.

Then the article says:

The first step is to track the birds as they fly. And that is exactly what scientists are now doing for the first time.

I stumbled across the words "now doing for the first time." I think that the reporter didn't do enough homework (tsk, tsk, said the journalism graduate).

Anyone want to let the reporter, Shankar Vedantam, know about previous satellite-tracking projects?

Marbled Godwit courtesy of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service