While walking a trail within the Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando, I stumbled across this lovely adult Barred Owl perched in a Spanish Moss-covered Live Oak. After several minutes of moving around I finally found a window through the vegetation where the bird was unobstructed. I then patiently waited for the bird to make eye contact with me, which didn’t happen until a pair of hikers stopped to look at the bird too right next to me. After taking a rapid series of head-on shots, I was surprised to see one photo capturing the owl’s nictitating membrane, or inner eyelid. I’ve captured this dust-protecting membrane before in larger birds, but never have I seen it with such a vibrant blue coloration before. Owls already have a mysterious, eerie quality to them, but the blue eyes really adds to the mystique.