Got one, thanks to Masukaze's directions and a guy at the reserve who was doing a transect and showed me the exact spot where they were. I saw just two individuals.
Here's one:

I chanced a trip down to Stoke Camp again today and had all but given up but then had a stroke of luck. A guy was doing a transect through the reserve and knew exactly where to find them, saying, "Look around that little bush in that hollow." He came over with me and immediately said "...

I am green with envy...

I've seen darters do this when approached and assumed it was a threat position.

Murphy's law strikes with the cool weather at present. I may still try this week if it looks like half a chance.

Whoops. I've had a lot of trouble with orange tips too. They're always on the go aren't they?

Me too really. It was just tongue in cheek.

No idea for no 1, guessing poplar hawk and elephant hawk moths for 2 and 3?

That'll teach me not to look further afield. I visited Ravensroost wood and meadow reserves today looking for brown hairstreak. Admittedly the weather was overcast, but butterflies in general were very thin on the ground, and of brown hairstreaks there were none.
Well done Dave.

Could be worth helping it along then to watch for the emergence? The imago is a beautiful insect.

... are a pain. OK, I know they show that the grass is in a healthy state but why do they insist on sitting right where I am about to place my knee having crept up on that brown argus and am ready to start shooting? I'm ready to go, then zing! the little bugger fires straight at my butterfly sending...

... are a pain. OK, I know they show that the grass is in a healthy state but why do they insist on sitting right where I am about to place my knee having crept up on that brown argus and am ready to start shooting? I'm ready to go, then zing! the little bugger fires off straight at my butterfly sen...

Does the last instar reach that size? I've heard that if they get infested with wasp larvae they go into munch-overload and just keep growing until the wasp emerges, killing the caterpillar.

I think there are sheep in the area and that's a bit of fleece left behind.

I notice those aberrant blue scales are popping up again in shot 1.

Here's a crop of GVW scales. Note the dark scales are black, not green.

Small tortoiseshells are scarce in my area in the west country this year too, although I seem to remember quite good numbers two years ago. Conversely, meadow brown are up in numbers around here compared to last year when they were very thin on the ground. And this year is a bumper year for gatekeep...

I know where you mean, thanks. There's some thistle and stuff there too I seem to remember and I saw brown argus, common blue and small copper there last time. I should have looked a bit harder, and perhaps studied those brown argus a bit more carefully! Still, it's a wonderful area to visit with th...

The background colour of the hindwing is very pale too.

This one was taken on 23rd July at Somerford Common. I noticed the blue scales at the time but it didn't register that it was an aberration.