Honestly, I'd say to get the right lens and pair it with an older body. The lens makes the difference for wildlife, and there's a good chance that the 200-500 Nikon is the right lens for you. It's the go-to enthusiast wildlife/bird lens. It's going to run up most of your $1500 budget, but you could pair it with any used D7000 from eBay (~$300) and know that you've got a capable combo. Not only in auto modes, but also when you're the one controlling things.

For the rest of your day-to-day stuff, any cheap 18-55, the 35 f/1.8 DX, or even the 40 f/2.8 macro would be good options. On top of that, buying the camera used means you should be able to get your money right back out of it when you do find that the camera is holding you back. So I say get a great lens you expect to keep, and a less expensive camera to learn on that you won't cost much to get out of later on.