A trip to the coast

 I am planning to do a few trips to new areas in the hope of catching different species from those in the South West. The first of these was to Poole where I could also catch up with an old school friend and entomologist. As the Premier Inn was booked I decided to forge ahead despite a poorish weather forecast.

The first day was better weatherwise than suggested but not much seemed to be flying. Walking around the Lytchett Bay reserve I managed to see a few Drone flies and caught just 3 other flies. Two of these were new for the year, my first convincing Hairy-eyed Flower Fly (Syrphus torvus) and even better a Neoascia meticulosa (Yellow-kneed Fen Fly). 

Yellow-kneed Fen Fly

This flew into my net while I was catching a different fly ! They are tricky to identify as the yellow knees don't always stand out and you have to look at an area of chitin on the underside of the thorax as well as measuring the proportions of one antennal segment. Not one you can do typically in the field.

The weather for day two was windy and drizzly so I abandoned plan A and went first to Durlston Castle. Here a search along the sea facing coastal grassland turned up my first ever Early Spider Orchids along with some Green-winged and Early Purple ones.

Early Spider Orchid

I then decided to try and see a male Bluethroat that had been found a few day's earlier at a gravel pit near Wareham. This was literally a couple of miles off my route home. I've seen a few Bluethroats in the UK and lots abroad but an adult male showing well is a decidedly rare event. Despite the rain I got pictures that I am happy with

Bluethroat - Red-spotted form

So two days that were well worth while despite the poor numbers of Hoverflies