Sighting the rare Lanzarote Houbara Bustard on the quiet campos of Camino de Jable, on the way to Nazarat

sometimes there is a quietness of land

and the quiet of Camino de Jable

is the quiet of remoteness 

between Mozaga and Nazarat 

here there are only campos

these pale earthen spaces filled 

with soft worn ecru sand  

in neat rows marked with rocks 

the crops of the Jable -

watermelon, corn and batateros 

fertile soil held in place by sand

and gravity and time

the campos quiet and thirsty now

clear bright skies, clean air

and the warmth of the soft winds 

which endlessly blow 

as we quietly pass through

ahead of us, a tiny rabbit 

scampers along the camino

then disappears into the gorse

and later, on a flock of stone-curlews 

take a short flight in order to 

distance themselves from us

they land running briskly on long legs

we continue along without talking 

and suddenly a Houbara bustard!

we have sighted this rare bird here before

brown above and white below

black striped neck, quite large and

blended perfectly into the Jable

until it takes flight on very long wings

showing flight feathers of black and brown

as it ascends in an graceful arc

to swoop up and away from us

over the dry, sandy campos 

that stretch quietly into the distance