(So, this is one I added, not on the original list)
When my friend told me about this magical island near-by, where owls go for the winter, where it's possible to go watch them, in abundance, in the wild, I felt compelled to go. I did research on the internet, got detailed directions, sparked D's interest, waited for good weather, on the weekend, when D was home, and the stars aligned for us to go on Valentine's Day / our anniversary / Family Day weekend. What perfect timing is that!
We got the ferry to the island, which broke the ice on its way over.

We drove around the island, totally enchanted, fantasizing about camping on the island. No, having a cottage on the island. No, having a bachelor pad downtown, but our "real" house on the island. Complete with bed and breakfast. For divers. No, for knitters. No, for yoga and meditation. No, not a bed and breakfast, a yurt community! And not a downtown pad, a boat and a motorbike for commuting into town!!!
We missed out turning, and drove round some more before finding this mystical wood. It wasn't very busy, which was good, but once we got in the woods we just wandered around aimlessly. How are we supposed to find these owls? Other people find them, then we just go where the people are, and look at the owls......
No people, no owls.....
We wandered some more.....
Saw some.... other birds.....
Wandered some more......

Saw lots of "owls" in the distance, but when we looked through the monocular, they actually ended up being the end of a broken tree limb / top of a post / can't even see what I was looking at now.....
Wandered some more......
Started giggling....
Wandered some more.....
Wondered if we were ever going to any owls.
Wandered some more.....

Wondered how many owls we'd walked by that were laughing at us because we hadn't seen them.
Wandered some more....
Bumped into very helpful birdwatcher man, who asked us if we wanted to see an owl. We followed him into the bush, and he pointed to this tree, while whispering instructions to D.

Where's the owl? And then I saw it! See:

So, we crouched and watched this cute little owl, which was RIGHT THERE, right in front of us, so close, in the wild and everything, just opening an eye and looking at us, looking at him.
It was great!