Suggest also look at Nikon Coolpix S10, the current successor to E4500 swivel & zoom.

Having had a Pana FZ7 for a year, I would not recommend it and also did used to wonder if I should have paid the extra for a Canon S3, but from what I could see on the web there was little if any difference in quality.

As far as Image stabilisation is concerned, in camera IS on this grade of camera only does what software can do afterwards with better user control & once something has been done auto by the camera, you can't re-do it in pp. I have done quite impressive salvage jobs of FZ7 at 1/4 sec using Focus Magic software which has a module that compensates for camera shake or movement ( http://www.pbase.com/crisscross/image/80140670 ) The Nikon S10 also has it. I now prefer my E4500 shots to the FZ7 era.

I am afraid you will have to leave the birds free as you really do need a good telephoto except for the ones that sit around waiting. My Sigma 50-150 on 350D (cropped) generally outperforms the FZ7 at its nominal 430mm equiv. No use for birds, but don't rule out the canon 18-55 kit lens for landscape and plants, it is light and not at all bad if you try to keep down to 50mm.

Lastly the compact zooms do not control DOF in the same way as SLR. Play a bit first. I have not tried the Nikon but would.