Thanks for the vote of confidence Spiel.
I whittled for a while with a penknife, then found a local Carving Club{ there should be one in Kitchener ]
Found the Members only too willing too impart their knowledge and skills to a beginner. They will have carving books to borrow and carving plans.Basswood is the best wood to start with.Tight grain and easy to carve, but does'nt sand too well.
If you find a club, take a look at the knives they use. I recommend you dont buy a 'set' of knives as you prolly wont use some of them. Start with one or two straight blades, make sure you learn how to sharpen them, then build up a kit as you need them. I can go on forever, but a carving book from a club or Library will get you going.
Hope this helps, e-mail me by all means if you need any more help.
P.s. A club will have someone to cut out the blocks to a pattern for you. Try a small animal first, birds can be frustrating.