With their bright colours and bold behaviour, a colony of bee-eaters has delighted thousands of visitors to the north Norfolk coast.
But now the small flock of birds has left the quarry at Trimingham they called home over summer and has flown off to Africa.
Jenny Shelton, the RSPB's investigations liaison officer, said nine bee-eaters had been spotted on their way south.
She said: "Six adults and three youngsters have now set off on their long journey back to sub-Saharan Africa.
"Thanks to everyone who has supported and enjoyed the spectacle, particularly Dan Gotts, the North East Norfolk Bird Club and all the wonderful volunteers."
The so-called 'rainbow birds' were first spotted over the Queen's Platinum Jubilee weekend in early June, drawing bird-watchers from across the country.
The bee-eaters dug a pair of burrows for their eggs, which hatched into chicks and fledged - a rare occurrence in the UK for a species that is normally more at home around the Mediterranean.
But Ms Shelton said bee-eater sightings would likely become more common on these shores.
She said: "With summers becoming increasingly hotter and drier, bee-eaters will no doubt be back nesting in the UK again - though where they’ll appear next is anyone’s guess.
"Unlike other migratory species like swifts and swallows, bee-eaters are not established breeders in this country."
Ms Shelton said bee-eaters had never returned to the same UK site twice, so it was unlikely the same group of birds would be seen again.
She added: "What is for sure though is that we'll be ready to spring into action wherever and whenever they appear.
"For now, it's goodbye and good luck to these beautiful birds. They've been such a treat to see.”
There have only been six recorded breeding attempts by the species in the UK over the past 20 years, and this was the first time since 2015 that bee-eater chicks have successfully fledged here.
A viewing point set up by the RSPB next to the quarry has now closed, and a live feed on YouTube has been turned off.
But highlights from the bee-eaters' stay can still be seen at www.youtube.com/RSPBvideo
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