Seagull chick in car park, can't get to car without being attacked, dh got cut in the scalp yesterday

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Very young seagull chick in our car park, none of us in our row of houses can get to our cars without being swooped and dive bombed. Dh has been shit on by the parents and yesterday one actually gouged him on the scalp as he was walking to the car.

One of our neighbours was trapped in his car, every time he tried to get out the parent swooped at him.

The chick is very young likely to be around for a few weeks before it can fly, we are worried that someone is going to get badly hurt and we don't know what to do

I know someone who had a seagull nest in their garden and had to use an umbrella to go to the bins.

Golf umbrella?

Umbrella should do it, especially if you open and shut it quickly

Umbrella

As others have said you need an umbrella. It does work.

Surely you just put an umbrella up. Has it really come to this - humans defeated by seagulls?

Umbrella, open and shut as necessary. They're vicious.

Yep; umbrellas.

It’s not an uncommon problem!

That is hilarious

Tool use people; opposable thumbs.

They don't like the colour red, so bright red umbrella

A couple of slices of bacon will occupy them long enough to get in your car 😆

Seagulls nest in our street every year, we throw scraps off food so we can get in and out the house without being dive bombed. We can now safely walk straight past with a chick on the lawn with our dogs and they are fine with us. Our neighbours still get dive bombed around us. Seagulls are smart and seem to recognise we are not a threat.

Bribe them with food.

They're like crows, they'll soon learn to trust you if you're kind to them.

Sounds awful. Hat and umbrella, don't flap your arms around.

When I lived in my old flat. There was a seagull that returned each year. I'd often Chuck the ends of bread out for it, and would sometimes treat it to some fish from the chippy. Well some of my fish from the chippy. I did have to chase it off once when it tried nicking off with my pack of smoked salmon 😅 pretty soon I could go out to my car and all I had to do was make a clicking noise and the seagull would fly down and land at my feet. When the babies were big enough to come down. They would just potter around my feet whilst the adult one looked on from the roof top. I moved a couple of years ago but I still miss that seagull

Umbrella. But like some PP said, they can and do learn to trust people too.

I used to work in a kid's hospital, and we had a seagull chick in the garden of the play centre bit. Meant no patients or their siblings could use the area at all. They would also get dive bombed and shat on.
In the end, a brave group of porters got the chick in a box, and placed it in a local park away from the hospital.

For gods sake don't feed them! Worst thing you can do!
Umbrella is probably your best bet. I'd be tempted to shoot them with a strong water pistol or swing a rope above your head to deter them.

When they are gone I'd be making damn sure there was nowhere for them to nest next year. They have a habit of nesting in the same place. So don't let them.

Your DH needs this…

Years ago before my gran realised the umbrella trick she actually died her hair from blonde to brown hoping they wouldn't recognise her

It was an awful summer of daily anxiety for her (but I do still chuckle remembering it)
Umbrellas do work

Out of interest, have you not tried anything except outrunning the seagull? Because an umbrella is the most obvious and simple option to try? Fair enough if you don't have one handy in the car but maybe you can take it in turns to be on neighbour seagull safety watch from your windows?

The ‘new balance running shoes’ ad above your post is certainly hilarious and ironic 😂

They do have a habit of nesting in the same place and in my experience it’s almost impossible to them. Everyone has spikes on their roofs and around the chimneys and they just sit on them and use them to prop up their nests. Some people have tried seagull deterrent kites and all sorts. They don’t seem to be a difference.

Whilst some people may think feeding them just encourages them, they’ve been here for many years, much better to have a pleasant few weeks with them than a miserable time being swooped at and crapped on! They come, raise their chicks and then that’s them away again until next year.

Lid off a metal bin was useful when I had crow chicks wandering around my garden. Poor dog had blood drawn multiple times. I managed (wear gloves) to pick up the young crows and put them into next doors garden who didn't have pets.

That likely killed that chick by removing it from its parents. Parks are full of predators so usually ground nesting things don't survive there anyway.

Ideally you should pop a non flying chick back up on a nearby high roof so it's out of foxes reach, and parents less likely to dive bomb.

Umbrella is generally recommended