The sun was shining as guests arrived in droves for a special Easter book signing at Birdworld with the beloved author Julia Donaldson.

The ticketed event included full access to Birdworld and a copy of Julia’s new book The Bowerbird to be signed.

Additional titles from the award-winning author – such as The Gruffalo and The Go-Away Bird – could also be purchased from the park’s gift shop, and were happily signed on request.

Following the signing session, Julia and her husband, Malcolm, were given an exclusive tour of Birdworld.

They visited residents including the African penguins ‘Penguin and Squid’, who recently became national stars with their remarkable story of friendship.

Julia also met popular residents such as ‘Boy’, the Toco Toucan, and ‘Ham’, the 14 year old Kea, among others.

Mike Morath, commercial and operations manager at Birdworld, said: “We couldn’t have chosen a better day to have Julia visit Birdworld. The guests were absolutely delighted to meet her and there was a huge buzz around the park all day. With the sun shining, everybody had a spring in their step – including our birds!

“For those who couldn’t make it over Easter Weekend, we are still running our Bowerbird Scavenger Hunt until April 14. This is a fantastic chance to experience this heartwarming story when exploring our park. We hope it brings as much joy to our guests as it has done to us here at Birdworld.”

The Bowerbird Scavenger Hunt invites families to hunt for characters around the park that are marked with letters and accompanied by large brightly coloured Easter eggs.

After finding all the eggs, children will need to unravel the mystery word for the chance to win a special certificate and small treat.

For more information please visit: https://www.birdworld.co.uk/the-bowerbird/