To be honest, I think the raw vs jpeg argument will contine until the end of time, a bit like the Mac vs PC. I suppose it depends what you want to do with your images. One thing to bear in mind, if you do shoot in raw, make sure you have a lot of space to keep those files. Having said that, there is no substitute for a well taken photograph. Prepare, know your subject, and know your camera.
I do a bit of bird photography, specialising in a particular bird of prey. I shoot in the highest quality jpeg; I also sell my work, and provide images for publishing, and no comment (thus far!) has been made about the image being in jpeg format.
My one piece of advice would be to purchase the best quality lens you can afford. You won't regret it.