Andy, There's a very similar looking quacker on a pond here in Elkton. Has been for several years. Somewhere in my piles of files someone sent me a note axplaining that color pattern.. As a I recall it was a Mallard x Somethingorother. Cheers, Gary Griffith (brdnsum@dpnet.net) Elkton, MD ---------- > > Chatters, > > I saw an unusual looking duck today in Greenbelt Lake, Prince George's > County, MD. It was with a group of mallards and it was shaped like a > mallard. It was all black except for the front of its neck and top of its > breast which were white. The color pattern was very similar to that of a > black scoter. The bill was black and shaped like a mallard's and its legs > were orange. > > Was this just some weird mallard? Or is it possible that it was a black > scoter? > > Any help is appreciated. > > > > > Andy Rabin > andyrab@wam.umd.edu > Rockville, MD >