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The rising seas flooded up into broader valleys like the Thames, the Solway Firth and Morecambe Bay to create huge tidal estuaries. At low tide here at Snettisham on The Wash in East Anglia, the mud stretches for miles. But it’s not the barren desert it first appears. Believe it or not, this is chock full of life and for wading birds this mud is a gastronomic treat, but you need the right equipment. Here knot, redshank and oystercatchers can eat to their hearts content. But this paradise has one major drawback. Dining here is always a race against time and tide. This larder only opens for a part of every day. The birds are pushed along in front of the rising waters… gathering into ever-larger flocks until eventually they’re forced onto the wing - an unforgettable sight. Doubly so, when a peregrine flashes into the swirling flocks in search of a meal. For thousands of years the richness of these tidal flats has attracted hungry animals, and not just birds. Bears too have a particular taste for shellfish and these new estuaries must have proved irresistible. They’re surprisingly adept at finding and dealing with these buried delicacies. Their presence would certainly have added to the views across Morecambe Bay.