E

ven if you're not an easy early riser, you'll be glad you made the effort when you get to Snettisham Nature Reserve. Come here on crisp autumn and winter mornings and you'll see tens of thousands of pink-footed geese taking to the air at the same time, turning patches of the sky black as they leave their roosts and head out to feed.

This strip of shingle pits stretches along Norfolk's west coast for over two kilometres, creating a convenient home for oyster catchers, ringed plovers, curlews, peregrine falcons and other species who drop in throughout the year.

The pits were dug out during World War II, when the RAF needed the shingle to make concrete runways for the American bombers that were too heavy to land on grass; conveniently, the roads leading up to here – which were built to make it easier to extract the shingle – mean you can get a good look at the feathery residents.

When you've used up the memory card on your camera, how about heading to the Old Bank bistro in Snettisham village for a bite – the burgers are dee-licious...