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The first requirement for bird photography is patience. It seems rather like fishing--set up the bait and you never know what you might catch!
A tele lens is required, so small bird photography is not inexpensive. My advice would be to get the best you can afford. I feel the lens is more important than the camera body. If you get serious about it, you'll also need a tripod and either a good ballhead or a gimbal-type such as the Wimberley, depending on how heavy your equipment is. Handheld shots are possible, but keeping the lens in place for long periods can be tiring! Also helpful is an adjustable flash for fill light, and if you're shooting from some distance, the Better Beamer (from www.birdsasart.com) for the flash head. Research lenses before purchase by looking for shots you like and reading the online forums.
The first year I tried shooting feeder birds, I shot them on the feeder. Since I work at home, I set up my camera at my desk and pointed it at the feeder through the open window.I was able to work while waiting for a bird to arrive and with a remote shutter release, could snap the shot without even touching the camera. It's gotten a lot more complicated since then. I've purchased a tripod, Wimberley head and flash, and moved outside, where I wait behind the lens to shoot arrivals at the tree near the feeder. Fortunately, the tree has several dead branches with no leaves, but a branch or two artifically situated near a feeder would work just as well. And here's where the patience comes in. If you pay attention, you can tell what time of day the birds normally feed and try to be in place. Still, you may spend many hours just waiting, as I have, appearing to others to be wasting time. On the other hand, sometimes there may be more than you can handle. Once I had bluebirds bringing babies from the nest in the backyard, phoebes feeding nestlings in the front yard, and a large snapping turtle lumbering in front of the house--all at the same time.
Having the camera in position for several hours every day, even without your presence, gives the birds time to trust it. I've also found that keeping my face hidden behind the camera helps with the birds who are most wary. Some will leave with the first flash. Others don't seem bothered by it. Use different kinds of seeds in your feeder(s) to attract different species of birds.
Take test shots of the areas you see birds landing at most often, and have your settings adjusted before the birds arrive. Act quickly when you see your shot because most small birds don't sit still. Try to shoot the bird in a position parallel to the sensor of the camera if you know you're working with a shallow depth of field, and focus either on the eye or a point slightly back from the part of the bird closest to you. And most of all, be patient!
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