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Eight exotic bee-eater birds have hatched in Britain, an extraordinary feat that has only been recorded twice in the last 60 years.

A colony of the sun-loving birds has established on the Isle of Wight, the largest ever breeding group seen in the country.

Two colourful adult pairs arrived from southern Africa early this summer and between them they have successfully hatched eight chicks.

Eight exotic bee-eater birds have hatched in Britain, an extraordinary feat that has only been recorded twice in the last 60 years

The birds, which normally spend their summers in the Mediterranean, were last recorded breeding in Britain in 2002.

That attempt in County Durham produced two chicks and was the first for 50 years.

Before that two pairs raised seven young in Sussex in 1955.

The birds are expected to leave for southern Africa within the week, flying thousands of miles to reach their winter feeding site.

But they - and other exotic species - could be increasingly seen in the UK as we get warmer summers, experts say.

The long spell of warm weather this spring and summer has already led to an abundance of migratory animals we would not usually see in the UK.

In July a number of yellow-legged tortoiseshell butterflies were spotted along the east coast, the first time since 1953 the insects had been seen in Britain.

The butterflies, which are usually only seen in Eastern Europe, had been blown in on warm easterly winds.

It has also been an excellent year for bees, dragonflies and all manner of other warmth-loving insects and birds.

A colony of the sun-loving birds has established on the Isle of Wight, the largest ever breeding group seen in the country

Bee-eaters, with their kaleidoscopic and very colourful plumage, are considered one of the world's most beautiful birds, and a very rare visitor to the UK.

The animals, which are related to kingfishers, feed in mid-flight by snatching bees, wasps, flying ants and other stinging insects out of the air.

The birds perch on telegraph wires and tree branches until they see their prey, then leap into the air and grasp the insect with their beaks.

They get rid of the insect's sting by rubbing it against a hard surface, squeezing the venom out of its body as they do so.

Three chicks fledged from one nest on National Trust land, in a small valley on the Wydcombe Estate, and another five from a second nest.

An adult bee-eater was first spotted at Wydcombe in mid-July by dragonfly survey volunteer Dave Dana.

A nest - a burrow in the ground - on the estate was located and a 24-hour operation to protect the site from egg thieves was launched by the National Trust, RSPB and Isle of Wight naturalists.

Their efforts paid off, with chicks first sighted on August 15.

The second nest, on nearby farmland, went undiscovered until last week.

Mr Dana said of his sighting of the adult bird: 'I'd just come from counting golden-ringed dragonflies at a stream and I thought, "that bird looks a bit different!".

Bee-eaters, with their kaleidoscopic and very colourful plumage, are considered one of the world's most beautiful birds, and a very rare visitor to the UK

'Its flight path seemed almost triangular. I didn't really appreciate the bird until I got home and looked at the photos.

'I'd always wanted to see a bee-eater in this country but I never thought it would turn out to be a major wildlife event.'

More than 3,000 people have come to see the bee-eaters since news of their nesting attempt broke, with part of the site opened to public viewing once the eggs had hatched and the threat from egg collectors had subsided.

National Trust wildlife adviser Matthew Oates said: 'Bee-eaters are usually faithful to breeding sites so we're hoping that they return in 2015, but this will be dependent on weather and other perils of migration that birds face.

'Climate change may well lure other Mediterranean birds, and migratory insects, to our shores. There are exciting times ahead for UK nature lovers.'

Keith Ballard, site manager at the RSPB's Brading Marshes reserves on the Isle of Wight, added: 'To have four bee-eaters arrive on the Isle of Wight, nest safely, and return as 12 is a fantastic result, exceeding all expectations.

'It's been hard work but a great pleasure protecting these birds whilst allowing people to enjoy seeing them as well.'