Another clanger!

I think 'fledged the nest' is correct

Me too.
You seem very invested in Escape to the Country listings CountessF

Yes...this because when we were thinking of returning to the UK after 44 years [there are many times when we wish we hadn't], we watched the programme every day from Belgium and France before trying to decide where to settle.
Never heard of "fledged the nest" before - does not sound grammatically correct, but I stand [or rather sit] corrected!

Absolutely correct. Even the birds would agree.

Ah, thank you, I’d move to Northumberland in a flash!
Where do you fancy?

I can’t watch those property programs, I am too envious!

TBH I’d have thought that either ‘fledged’ alone (as in a young bird having grown feathers for flying) was usual, or else ‘fled the nest’.

I did check in my very big fat dictionary to see whether ‘fledged the nest’ was quoted, since it gives relevant usages too, but it wasn’t there.

A bit pedantic, but I think, perhaps, the presenter meant ‘flew the nest’?
To fledge means the chick has grown feathers and is learning to fly, but certain fledglings may return to the safety of the nest whilst being fed by the parents.

Useless info, I know!

I only looked at this to ponder the expression, but "stone the crows" (to continue the 🐦 🐦 analogy), that's my stomping ground! I must catch up when I get home.
We also had Kirstie and Phil in the local pub a few weeks ago, and Kevin McCloud doing a Grand Designs. Shhh, the secret is out.
Anyway, back to the 🐦 🐦 s.

Can’t stand those programmes so I don’t really care whether they fledge fly or sit on the edge and drop 🫢

I think this is one of those usages that has changed over time. As a rural child, we would say "fled the nest" - not sure why we said that rather than "flew" but we did. As the chicks have "fledged", that is, grown, I can see why the saying "fledged the nest" could have evolved.

Georgesgran

A bit pedantic, but I think, perhaps, the presenter meant ‘flew the nest’?
To fledge means the chick has grown feathers and is learning to fly, but certain fledglings may return to the safety of the nest whilst being fed by the parents.

Useless info, I know!

I agree. Fledged is not the right word in this situation. Fled or left the nest would be much better.

I would have said "flown the nest".

Joseanne

I only looked at this to ponder the expression, but "stone the crows" (to continue the 🐦 🐦 analogy), that's my stomping ground! I must catch up when I get home.
We also had Kirstie and Phil in the local pub a few weeks ago, and Kevin McCloud doing a Grand Designs. Shhh, the secret is out.
Anyway, back to the 🐦 🐦 s.

With DC I would say 'flew the nest' - but don't downsize right away as they might boomerang back again.

Fledge the nest is often used for birds but there is no need as 'fledge' is sufficient on its own.

Kevin was seen around here in the pub and ETTC must be frequent visitors too!

Fledged the nest is perfectly good grammar. Fledge is both an intransitive and transitive verb. The nest is the object that birds fledge from.

From Grammarly:

To decide whether the verb is being used transitively or intransitively, all you need to do is determine whether the verb has an object. Does she sing something? Does he leave something? The verb is only transitive when the answer is yes.

www.grammarly.com/blog/transitive-and-intransitive-verbs/

In the intransitive sense to fledge means: To acquire feathers large enough for flight; to become fully plumed.

In the transitive sense to fledge means: To bring up (a young bird) until its feathers are grown and it is able to fly. Also figurative.

In this case, fledged is being used figuratively. The children have been brought up and are now able to fly or fledge “the nest”.

It might be grammatically correct according to a dictionary, but it still grates. Birds just fledge (with no object to the verb), they have then flown the nest, or left the nest, and after they have fledged they are fledgelings.

Fledged the nest seems like tautology.

Mazgg

I would have said "flown the nest".

Yes that sounds better than the ones I suggested.

and are now able to fly or fledge “the nest”. Up until this bit I would agree with you, NorthFace, but I can't agree that 'fledge' is the correct verb to use here.

Flown (the nest) and fledged have somehow been conflated .
(Not “fled” - birds fly, not flee - except in Scotland)

A bird is fledged when it has grown its flight feathers, though it doesn't leave the nest until is feels the urge to go, and untilthose feathers are strong enough to bear its weight. Fledgelings are young birds with those flight feathers, but they may still be living in the nest for a while (like teenagers)
and will soon take off.

A craftsman who makes arrows is a fletcher (using feathers at the back end of the arrow to keep it in a straight line in flight).

The link from the word is to feathers, rather than to total independence, and the word fled is the past of flee, not to fledge.