As I am not from the UK I was wondering what all those black flies are? They seemed to have come out in the last couple of weeks, and are numerous in certain spots, they aren't flying ants, but some other kind of fly?
Anyone?

probably mayflies :)

Pollen beetles? We have loads of them here, especially on the yellow flowers.

(Mayflies are quite large, like small dragonflies.)

Google Cluster Fly/Flies - there are plenty around at the moment, particularly on hot sunny walls.  They are paler than the common housefly and quite slow flyers, if they're in your house they will often do small circuits around a light fitting.  A nuisance, but not harmful, and no maggots - thankfully :)

oh well we must have the wrong name for them here in devon then! mayflies HERE are black things that fly about for about 3 days in May, males having a hook, and are then never seen again.....like large shiny flying ants :)

> oh well we must have the wrong name for them here in devon then! mayflies HERE are black things that fly about for about 3 days in May, males having a hook, and are then never seen again.....like large shiny flying ants

I've seen those things, I think they might be called Maybugs in the USA? Not what you want on your windscreen at all. There's also something I've heard of called Thrips that seem to go a bit mental when the rapeseed plants are in flower.

hummm I have looked at those suggestions and these critters don't look like them... I think I am going to have to get some photo evidence! Thanks guys

Midges?  They like to be in groups.

It is the Corn lice, there a pest, and get everywhere!

It's too early for the thunderflies - the horrid tiny things that get everywhere, even behind the glass in photos.

ETA: And even inside laptops and PCs!

LOL JG, and inside monitors, does no harm but you do find commas where you did not put them and I have lost count of the number of times I have cleaned my cameras because I think the mark on the photo is dirt on my sensor when in fact it is a fly in my monitor.

nope not even corn lice! I must get a pict of these bugs

I saw them at the Birmingham show at Stafford last weekend but don't know the name for them

could they be the male horse fly?? lots of them around this time of year they are a slow flying fly that feeds from nectar

we call corn lice "sunny beasts" as they always appear when its sunny!

Could your bugs be fruit flies? What sort of size are they?

they are quite big, they aren't horse flies, or fruit either lol
They are black, and some have really long antennas, looking like hairs coming off them... When they fly their legs dangle making them look bigger.

I am thinking its a Fungus gnat?this is what it looks like

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/06-079f1.jpg

Yep there were loads up the fields today will ask my friend what they are he is good at that sort of thing

I passed lots an dlots of these today around some flowering bushes up on the downs and thought i must google them to see if they were what you were talking about..