Does anyone know what causes this?

Here is a picture of a once (not long ago) healthy Bird's Nest Fern. Does anyone know what may be causing this blight, and what I can do about it?

Here is another view:

I'll start by saying that I know absolutely nothing about ferns...but if this weren't a fern I'd suspect something like sunburn, fertilizer burn, salt buildup, something along those lines. It doesn't look particularly like insect or fungal damage to me.

Thanks for the reply Liz. I would tend to agree with you, but it has been in the same spot for over a year, and this damage is just from the last month or so. We have actually had more rain than usual, so it has been getting less sun, less salt and the only fert I give it is an ocassional banana. So I am stumped. That's why I posted. Some of the fronds are still beautifully green, but it is huge, not easily moved, and I just don't know what to do.

When I saw it, I thought of my ivy that died last summer. It had been healthy and beautiful for years and then we had much more rain than usual (48" in 3 mo.). I asked my neighbor who is a horticulturalist (is that a word?). He thought it was some kind of fungus in the soil. I didn't have time to look into how to remedy the problem and my ivy just died. Here's a pic. I don't know if it's the same kind of thing. It's just a thought.

Elphaba, I am so sorry about your ivy! It's so frustrating when that happens. But I don't think its the same thing. These brown spots get real thin and papery, and there are beautiful green fronds growing right next to ones with the brown bits. And these kind of ferns are used to lots of water...this came from an island that gets 400 inches a year! So I don't think it could be too much water, although,, ya never know, could be.

Is the bird's nest fern in a pot? Maybe it needs a bigger pot?
elphaba, i think that your ivy is blight, verticulum wilt, which is a bacteria or fungus which is caused when there is excess moisture. but if it was last summer, it may come back this year. Last spring i had a lot of it that got some peonies, and lilacs. I think they should return this year, at least i hope.

Oh dear, if it needs a bigger pot, I am in trouble...its in an old oil drum now!

islandshari i don't know that but here is a website that may be what you have i don't know.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/images/1170f03.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG1170.html&h=190&w=241&sz=18&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=xXVdGdz8CbdMJM:&tbnh=87&tbnw=110&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dblight%2B%2522bird%2527s%2Bnest%2Bfern%2522%26as_st%3Dy%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG

Len123, thanks for the link...very informative. It is possible that the bacteria infection is what I am looking at since we have had such strange weather for this time of year and the fern has been much wetter than ever before. I am going to do some research on bacteria cures...but I am going to try some corn meal immediately, since I have had success with that in the past. Thanks again!

islandsshari, i'm not sure that there is anything you can do for that. I had a lot of rain last spring and had a lot of plants get the bacteria wilts, but i think they usually come back from it, but it is too early to tell on some of my plants. lilac last year looked like they all died and then in the summer they started getting new leaves. but the peonies haven't started growing yet so i'm not sure about them.

I sure hope your peonies come back, they are such a beautiful flower! I'm going to try the cornmeal, and I will cut off one damaged frond a day and see how that works for the new ones coming up. If I see any damage on the unfurling new fronds, I may have to just chuck the whole thing. I don't want it contaminating my other plants.

no i wouldn't chuck the plant! the other plants would have already been exposed anyway.

Good point. But with our winds, if anything isn't yet, it soon will be. Guess I'll see how this works, then ask again if I don't see any improvement.

Is the oil drum made of a material that you could drill holes in the side? Perhaps the roots are too wet, and need air.

How do you give a fern a bananna??? I had lots of ferns once, and weekly would add a spoonful of milk to a gallon of water for fertilizer.

I just toss a banana peel into the center of the fern, ha ha! Good idea on the holes, thanks!