Joybell, your story of the close but distant owl reminds me of a similar event I had. In wilderness forest I had just clambered on top of a fallen tree (officially, before it blew over, it had been the #2 largest Douglas Fir in the Pacific Northwest, so it was a BIG log). As I parted the branches to see out, a coyote (I assume it was a coyote- it was definitely not a fox) was at eye level across the deep gully on anther log. He was not as close as your owl was but he was close enough that I could practically see the color of his eyes.

He was cleaning himself when I first saw him and froze when he saw my movement. I froze too - standing on one foot - and I outlasted him. After a couple of minutes he resumed his preening and I got to watch him until he finished and in a leisurely fashion trotted to the end of his log and jumped off.

After I quit smoking I had many encounters of this kind. In the past I would never have had the patience to stand still doing nothing. For that matter, wildlife would have smelled me long before I got to them!