The best place to find bird feeders (and bird food) it at farmer stores.  Super and Hardware stores do not offer variety and better prices.
Locate the feeding area (station) away from the flowers, near the trees, with some shade, in easy view to see and take pictures.
Spend a dollar more on quality bird seed.  The birds will know the difference!  They will shovel filler yucky stuff out of the feeder and empty it in a day looking for the few seeds that taste good.
Hit the local book stores and collect a few bird guides.  It helps to know that the males and females look totally different sometimes -- also, they seem to do an okay job at helping determine what it is.  I had to make my own PDF (above for you to use) to figure out what they are 20% of the time.  80% helpful using the books is better than the 50% right you might get from "experts" in your area. 
To attract birds -- offer food they may wish to eat.  Thistle, all season mixed, different types of suet, sunflower, millet, corn, plain popcorn, grapes, safflower, milo, cut up oranges, pieces of dried bread, hummingbird nectar, and other possibilities.  Obviously, birds will go for a live bug any day before a banquet of seeds so your garden and plant choices are also part of it.  Nectar feeders require cleaning twice a week.  No liquid oil nor chocolate!
If you wish to steal birds from your neighbors -- offer grit (served in small low bowl) in feeder area.  Birds eat by grinding food in their stomach gizzard -- they will be attracted to you to get the grit to help them eat their food.  Baked egg shells (20 minutes at 250F) and mashed to sunflower size works well also.
Try to keep the feeding station away from building corners and hiding places so the local cats will not use it as a stalking and hiding place.
Birds do carry disease to other birds.  A washing of the feeders monthly with 10 parts water to 1 part amonia (or bleach), a very good rinsing and a total dry out is excellent to do.
If you sit to watch -- you cannot take a picture without your camera.  Ma, I saw a new one -- it looked like a bird!
When you find this fun -- get a good camera.  I have a Fuji digital, 10x zoom (actually 6x on optical setting), set sound to low, set to zoom resume when turned on, turns itself off after 2 minutes if not used, and uses the 35mm quality level.  For hummingbirds and low light I have the auto flash turned off and use a tripod to reduce shaking.
Get a small bird bath -- it is funny to watch them anyways -- makes for lousy pictures.
Squirrels are pretty rats.  If you have far to many squirrels then having bird feeders may be impossible.  The internet offers suggestions on how to overcome -- but, look for feeders that make it difficult for squirrels (I am laughing).  Squirrels are very clever pretty rats.  But things could be worse: