Soldier Fly

I think spring is well and truly here.  On my walks I am now seeing lots of insects that I remember from last summer, such as scorpion flies, longhorn moths, frit flies, and Tachina fera.  I am also seeing some, like the above soldier fly, that are completely new to me.  It is a male, probably of species Microchrysa polita (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), based on a good match with the photo here.  The only similar species I have come across is Microchrysa flavicornis but that has yellow, instead of black, antennae.

Photos taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2010-05-04.