Help needed identifying little black duck

[drasher]

I was at London Wetland's centre today and saw a really pretty small black duck nesting in the reed beds. It was small (about 30cm) and black with a short rounded bill. It had a white spot behind the eye.
It was in the 'wild' section so I'm pretty certain it was a British bird but I coudn't identify it. I think my knowledge of birds is pretty good so it wouldn't have been any of the usual suspects. I thought at the time it was a scoter but when I got home and checked my guide it looked nothing like it- the bird I saw was much daintier.
Any ideas??

[Jason Green]

What colour was the bill? Can you draw it in colour if you don't have a photograph?

I must say, I said the same as your original guess - a scoter. Still, you get collection birds turning up on ponds in different places... or it may be a juvenile moorhen or coot, or a partially leucistic/adult bird of either?

Oh, and welcome to WAB!

[drasher]

I tried to draw it but not much of an artist. I think it should appear if you click the link above.

It definately wasn't a coot or moorhen- even a juvenille. I am very familiar with these birds and the young. The bill was rounded and black.

[aeshna5]

Could it have been a Little Grebe which can look dark (though with chestnut on the neck), is definitely small + certainly several pairs of these breed at LWC as you describe? They don't have white behind the eye, but do have a whitish gape mark.

[drasher]

The head shape is wrong and the white mark behind the eye was quite prominent. I hadn't consdiered this though so was worth checking.

[Jason Green]

Yes, good suggestion there Aeshna. Thanks for the drawing there, it does look scoter-ish.

[epops]

could it of been a laysan teal

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by epops

could it of been a laysan teal

There are Laysan Teal in the World of Wetlands (captive area), but shouldn't be in the wild area (LWC birds are pinioned), though this does have white around the eye, is fairly small, but not really that dark.

At least the OP can look at an image of this species, just in case it fits.

[jerryh]

female Harlequin or female Bufflehead?
Neither quite fits the description, I'm afraid...

No pics on WAB, but both can be found by a search of Google images.

Jerry

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by jerryh

female Harlequin or female Bufflehead?
Neither quite fits the description, I'm afraid...

No pics on WAB, but both can be found by a search of Google images.

Jerry

No Harlequin at LWC + not common in captivity, but there are Bufflehead in the North American enclosure- certainly a small if not dark duck.