Camera advise for low light outdoor photos

[JJL77]

I'm just getting into photography and I'm about to buy my first digital camera. However, after reading countless reviews and articles about which camera fits my situation, I'm still lost. I'm looking for a long zoom camera (10X-12X) with 5 megapixels or better and has manual function ability. A camera that I can learn with, have fun with and try some new things. I will be taking outdoor pictures of wildlife; birds, deer, fish, ducks, etc. I need a camera that has good low light capabilities and can zoom as a lot of my pictures will be at dusk and/or sunrise with the objects (deer) 50-200 yards away.
The cameras I've been looking at are ...(in order of most liked)
1. Panasonic FZ30 (yes, I know about the noise problem over ISO 200)
2. Sony Cybershot H1
3. Nikon Coolpix 8800
I've also thrown around the idea of going to a DSLR because they have better sensors and can handle higher ISO shots (I understand this is better for low light picture taking). But I don't think I want to spend $1,000 +
Do you think I would be happy with the Pana FZ30 for what I'd be using it for or maybe go with something else?
Is there another camera that would better suit me?
I guess ideally I'd like to stay somewhere around $800 or so.
Thanks for the time.

 

[dsp921]

You should be able to find a DSLR for $700 - $800 if that's your budget, a Nikon D50 for example.